FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
May 11, 2018
Contact: Heather F. Williamson
Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office
20 East Market Street
Leesburg, VA 20176-2809
(703) 777-0242
WINCHESTER MAN SENTENCED FOR ROUTE 7 TRAFFIC FATALITY
JUDGE IMPOSES 12 MONTHS IN LOUDOUN ADULT DETENTION CENTER
LEESBURG, Virginia – May 9, 2018. Timothy Stephen Anderson, 58, appeared before the Circuit Court of Loudoun County, for sentencing on one count of reckless driving. Judge J. Howe Brown Jr. sentenced Anderson to serve twelve months in the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center.
On the afternoon of December 12, 2016, Anderson drove his 1996 Toyota Corolla into the path of an oncoming tractor-trailer on Route 7. The driver of the tractor-trailer, Thomas Taylor, died in the collision.
Following the accident, Anderson stated that he was attempting to turn around and pulled out onto Route 7 without looking. Subsequent investigation by law enforcement revealed that Anderson may have been attempting to take his own life so that his family would benefit from his life insurance policy.
Anderson pleaded guilty to one count of reckless driving on January 19, 2018
Sr. Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Ryan W. Perry argued to the Court, that based on these facts, it appears Anderson either pulled out on to Route 7 without looking, exhibiting a disregard for life, limb, and property of other drivers on the road, or he intentionally caused an accident which took the life of another. “Either way the level of recklessness there is obscenely high, and it cost a man his life, it cost his parents their son, it cost his children their father, and it cost his fiancé an entire life without her betrothed,” said Perry. Perry implored the court to impose the maximum jail sentence of twelve months.
Before imposing the twelve month sentence, Judge Brown addressed everyone in the courtroom. “No sentence will bring Mr. Taylor back. No sentence will really impact the defendant any more than what has already been done. So very frankly, without meaning any disrespect to either party, my focus is on the public, on people who will learn about this,” said Brown. “The word will get out what was done to this man who was so reckless and in such disregard of human life that he pulled out in front of a truck.” “Maybe one person seeing this sentence will say ‘I better pay a little bit more attention’ and we will save one life,” continued Brown.
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