Published on Monday, October 17, 2005
in the Orlando Sentinel

Testimony ends in trooper-death case

DAYTONA BEACH -- Testimony concluded today in the trial of a Hillsborough County man accused of causing a fatal crash with a Florida Highway Patrol trooper.

Five witnesses took the stand this morning during Donald Williams' trial at the Volusia County Justice Center in Daytona Beach.

Williams, 39, of Seffner, has been charged with vehicular homicide, aggravated manslaughter and fleeing or trying to elude a law enforcement office in relation to the Oct. 2, 2004 crash in which Trooper Darryl Haywood was killed.

According to witnesses, Haywood's patrol car had been pursuing Williams on Interstate 4, as they headed east on the highway, a few miles after the State Road 44 exit, a tire blew out on the patrol car, causing his car to spin and strike a tree.

Today's witnesses included a Florida Highway Patrol major, who discussed some of the agency's pursuit rules, as well as an Orlando couple who had spotted both the motorcycle and the trooper and thought that it might have been difficult for the trooper to catch up to the motorcycle. An engineer also testified as to the possible distances between the motorcycle and the trooper's car, using information based on what witnesses reported seeing.

Williams decided not to testify, but in a videotaped interview, he had told investigators that he had sped down the interstate at about 100 mph, but he didn't look back to see if a trooper was chasing him.

The trial will go to the jury tomorrow.