2008 — Feb 16, Drag Race car hits race watchers on Indian Head Hwy, Accokeek, MD– 8

 –8  Castaneda (Washington Post). “Men Charged in Race Lied, Prosecutors Say.” 8-5-2008.

–8  Frederick News-Post, MD.  “8 Killed When Drag Race Turns Deadly.” 2-17-2008, A8.

–8  Frederick News-Post, MD.  “Celebrated in pop culture, street racing thrives.” 3-1-2008, 4.

–8  Garner. “Defense questions cops’ credibility in racing trial.” SoMdNews.Com. 2-19-2010.

–8  Garner. “Police breakup Indian Head Highway street race in Accokeek.” Gazette.Net, 7-2-10

–8  Garner. “Waldorf man gets 15 years for role in street race deaths.” SoMdNews.Com 3-10-10

–8  Graff, Michael. “Two Lanes to Accokeek.” SBNation, 6-4-2015.

–8  Manning, Stephen (AP). “8 die in Maryland as car slams into crowd watching drag race.”

–8  Spak, Kevin.  “8 Killed in Street Race Crash.” Newser, 2-16-2008.

–8  The Capital, Annapolis, MD.  “Driver in crash gets community service…” 3-28-2008, 4.

–8  WJLA.com. “Tavon Taylor, street racer accused of killing 8, trial delayed.” 9-19-2011.

 

Narrative Information

 

Feb 16, 2008: “A driver skidded into a crowd of street-race spectators in Maryland this morning and killed eight people, but later told police he was not part of the race, the Washington Post reports. The driver and at least four others were injured in the crash, which also killed the car’s passenger. “It was a very horrific scene,” one policeman said. “There are a lot of questions we still need answers to.”

 

“The driver told police he was blinded by drag-racers on Indian Head Highway, a known speed strip, and barreled blindly into the crowd.  Police suspect that racers and spectators fled the scene but have not yet pressed charges. About 40 family members huddled at the cold crash site this morning, watching investigators bag clothing, shoes, and other items from the victims.”  (Spak, Kevin.  “8 Killed in Street Race Crash.” Newser, 2-16-2008.)

 

Feb 17, 2008: “Accokeek (AP) — William Gaines Sr. liked to watch street racing — about once a week he would go out with crowds to lonely stretches of road in the suburbs of Washington to see cars test their speed in the underground sport.  Early Saturday morning, his hobby took a fatal turn. According to his daughter, Gaines was one of eight people killed when a Ford Crown Victoria sedan plowed into a crowd of street racing fans who had spilled onto a highway to see two other cars race.  Five others were injured in the crash that left a gruesome scene of mangled bodies tossed across the road and on the grassy shoulder.

 

“Crystal Gaines said she saw the sedan approaching from behind after the street racers sped down the northbound lanes of Route 210.  She pulled her daughter out of the way, but William Gaines, 61, hobbled by a broken leg, couldn’t move fast enough.  “I hollered, ‘Daddy, Daddy!’ There were bodies laying everywhere,” said Gaines, who was uninjured.  “He wasn’t breathing, he wasn’t moving. His body was in pieces.”

 

“Police said the victims ranged in age from about 20 to 60 years old. They had gathered on a road that some local residents and relatives of those who were killed said was a popular spot for the illegal races.  Smooth and relatively flat, the divided highway is surrounded by only a few businesses, with no houses in the immediate area….

 

“Hours after the crash, bodies covered by white sheets still lay across a 50-foot stretch of the road before they were removed by the medical examiner.  Authorities had sheared off the doors of the car, which had a crumpled hood and a partially collapsed roof.  Shoes were strewn about in the grass next to the road. A pair of dark skid marks were visible on the highway.

 

“Police said the incident was likely the tragic result of poor judgment by racing fans who crowded into the divided highway to watch two street racers speed off and bad visibility that kept the approaching driver from seeing them.

 

“According to police, two cars had lined up for a race shortly before 4 a.m. They spun their wheels, kicking up smoke, then sped off, Copeland said.  The crowd then moved into the road to watch the cars drive away.  The combination of the smoke and the dark morning likely meant the driver of the approaching Crown Victoria could not see the crowd.

 

“Police interviewed the driver of the Crown Victoria, but no charges were pending, said Cpl. Clinton Copeland, a spokesman for the Prince George’s County police department. Authorities were also looking for the drivers of the two cars involved in the race.  Gaines said the Crown Victoria didn’t have its lights on, but police were not able to confirm that.

 

“A tractor-trailer that came by shortly afterward may also have struck someone on the roadside as it tried to avoid the crash scene, about 20 miles south of Washington.

 

“A passion for street racing was something some of the victims had in common, according to relatives who gathered at the scene of the crash.  Mark Courtney, 33, of St. Mary’s County, was a

racing fan, according to his brothers, who waited for most of the morning before identifying his body from a digital photo shown to them by police.  He left behind a large family — three children, seven siblings and his parents.  “He liked going to the racetrack, watching races,” said John Courtney.

 

“Also awaiting news of her brother was Marion Neal, who feared he was among the dead lying on the road. She knew he had gone to the race, but the family had not been in touch with him since then.  “It’s a tragedy,” she said. “I don’t like racing, but that was his hobby. He loves to watch.”

 

“Copeland said police had not received any complaints about racing in the section of Route 210 where the crash occurred.  But some local residents said it was common knowledge that people liked to race on the road that runs from the Capital Beltway into southern Maryland.  “Stuff like that shouldn’t be done here. It’s a problem,” said Denee Hines, whose mother owns a hair salon only a few hundred feet from the site of the accident, “Everyone knows about it, but I’ve never heard of it getting this bad”.” (Frederick News-Post, MD. “8 Killed When Drag Race Turns Deadly.” 2-17-2008, A8.)

 

Feb 18, 2008 (AP): “Accokeek, Md. …. About 50 people were gathered….The Crown Victoria, which had a crumpled hood and a partially collapsed roof, ended up down an embankment with one of the victims lodged inside…. The victims’ ages ranged from their 20s to 60s, police said. Seven people were pronounced dead at the scene, and an eighth died later at a hospital. Police said a body found in the car was one of the spectators and not a passenger, as they had previously assumed.

 

“Route 210 is a thoroughfare with two lanes in each direction and few traffic lights along the stretch where the accident occurred.  The road is flanked by some businesses but has little traffic in the early morning, Copeland said. The speed limit is 55 miles per hour.  Police said that street races are not uncommon on the stretch of road, but that most occur in the summer and involve motorcycles.  But relatives said some of the victims often went to see races held late at night on isolated stretches of road.”  (Manning, Stephen (AP). “8 die in Maryland as car slams into crowd watching drag race.” Winchester Star, VA, 2-18-2008, 3.)

 

March 1, 2008 (Frederick News-Post: “….According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 804 people were killed in racing-related crashes between 2001 and 2006, California had 188 of those deaths, with Texas second at 128.  After declining in the first half of the decade, street-racing deaths are on the rise again, climbing roughly 35 percent from 111 in 2005 to 150 in 2006, NHTSA said….

 

“Some Maryland lawmakers said they plan to introduce legislation that would allow Prince George’s County authorities to use cameras to catch speeders and discourage street racing.  County officials also said they plan to stop up patrols of known race sites.  “You’ve got a group of people who are secretive.  They gather, and within 30 seconds they move out.  It’s been very difficult for our police department” to stop racing, said Prince George’s County Executive Jack Johnson.

 

“Other cities and states have tried to put the brakes on street racing, with mixed success.  In California, authorities seize cars and have them publicly crushed at junkyards.  A state law makes street racing punishable with prison time, and some jurisdictions make it illegal even to watch a race.  In Washington state, some communities have installed short speed bumps on stretches of roads popular with racers to keep drivers from building up speed.  Kent, near Seattle, even invited drivers to bring their cars to the relative safety of a track and compete against police cars.  Not many showed up….

 

“Of the eight people killed and at least five injured in the Maryland crash, the youngest was 15, the oldest 61….

 

“Many former street racers have moved to tracks where they can race or watch for a fee.  At Maryland International Raceway, known as Budds Creek, drivers can race on a closed track with safety equipment nearby.  Spectators are kept at a safe distance.  But street racing fans say many drivers, especially the younger ones, don’t want to pay $20 to race when they can do it for free on the roads.  Tracks in colder climates generally shut down for the winter. And the thrill is just not the same when it’s legal….” (Frederick News-Post, MD. “Celebrated in pop culture, street racing thrives.” 3-1-2008, Auto-4)

 

March 28, 2008 (The Capital): “La Plata (AP) — A man who drove his car into a crowd watching an illegal street race last month was ordered yesterday to perform community service for an unrelated traffic infraction.

 

“A Charles County judge set 32 hours of community service for Darren Bullock as punishment for a May 27 citation for driving with a suspended license.  Mr. Bullock, 20, did not speak during the brief hearing in District Court or comment afterward.  Mr. Bullock was behind the wheel of a white Crown Victoria that plowed into the crowd gathered on Route 210 in the early morning of Feb. 16 in Accokeek to watch two cars race.  Eight people were killed.

 

“Mr. Bullock’s license was suspended at the time of the crash.  His attorney, John McKenna, said after yesterday’s hearing that the license has since been reinstated.  But a spokesman for the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration, Buel Young, said the license was still suspended as of yesterday afternoon….

 

“No charges have been filed in the case, but Prince George’s County police and prosecutors are still investigating.  Mr. McKenna said authorities have given no indication that they plan to file charges against Mr. Bullock.  “I don’t think there would be any reason for Darren Bullock to realize that at 3 a.m. there would be people in the middle of a major highway,” he said.

 

“Mr. McKenna said in the May case, Mr. Bullock lost his license for accumulating too many points for traffic offenses.  His mother requested an MVA hearing on the decision and mailed in a $125 check, which Mr. McKenna said led Mr. Bullock to believe his license was still valid. But the suspension was not lifted until the end of May.

 

“Mr. McKenna would not comment on the later suspension of Mr. Bullock’s license that was in effect at the time of the crash.”  (The Capital, Annapolis, MD.  “Driver in crash gets community service for unrelated infraction.” 3-28-2008, 4.)

 

Aug 5, 2008 (WP): “Two Southern Maryland men who were charged last week with engaging in an illegal street race that killed eight people deceived investigators, and one suspect urged witnesses to “tell the same lie,” Prince George’s County prosecutors said yesterday.

 

“The allegations surfaced during bond hearings for Darren Jamar Bullock, 21, and Tavon J. Taylor, 18, both of Waldorf, who have spent several days in jail since the indictments against them were announced a week ago.

 

“They are accused of racing against each other about 3 a.m. Feb. 16 on Indian Head Highway and running into a crowd of people watching another illegal race on the dark rural road in Prince George’s. Each is charged with eight counts of vehicular manslaughter, as well as reckless driving and racing.  Another eight people were injured in the crash, prosecutors said.

 

“Authorities allege that Bullock was racing his 1999 Ford Crown Victoria against a Mercury Marquis driven by Taylor when Bullock plowed into a crowd on the highway. Authorities have declined to say whether they believe Taylor hit anybody with his vehicle.

 

“A surveillance camera at a nearby Beretta gun factory caught the two drivers speeding with their cars’ headlights off a quarter-mile from the crash site, according to a source close to the investigation. The cars were moving as fast as 110 mph, said the source, who spoke anonymously because the case is ongoing.  Investigators were able to calculate the speed of the cars by comparing their images to fixed objects, such as light poles.

 

“During Taylor’s bond hearing yesterday, Assistant State’s Attorney Michael D. Wallace said Taylor “repeatedly deceived” police investigators and organized witnesses to lie to the grand jury investigating the matter. Taylor’s attorney, J. Wyndal Gordon, said in court that police investigators “coerced” statements from his client, but he did not elaborate.  In an interview after the hearing, Gordon denied that Taylor lied to police or tried to organize witnesses to lie. “My client couldn’t organize anything,” Gordon said. “He’s 18 years old.”

 

“Asked whether the allegation that Taylor coached witnesses might lead to further charges, State’s Attorney Glenn F. Ivey said after the hearing, “We’re taking a look at that.” Ivey declined to discuss the matter further, saying court rules prohibit him from talking in detail about evidence.

 

“During Bullock’s bond hearing, Assistant State’s Attorney Michael Pearson said Bullock “deceived and misled” investigators.  Bullock’s defense attorney, John M. McKenna, did not respond to the allegation during the hearing. In an interview later, McKenna said, “Mr. Bullock continues to assert his innocence and has done nothing but cooperate with authorities to the best of his ability.” Bullock works at a restaurant, McKenna said.

 

“During the bond hearings, Gordon and McKenna argued that their clients had no intent to harm anyone and do not pose flight risks. Gordon said he has seen no evidence indicating Taylor hit any of the victims.  Circuit Judge William D. Missouri set bond at $200,000 for Bullock and $120,000 for Taylor.  Missouri ordered that Bullock abide by whatever restrictions are imposed by pretrial services officials and that his movements be monitored electronically, but set no restrictions on Taylor.

 

“Taylor’s attorney and relatives said the young man plans to enroll at Delaware State University this month.   Taylor’s mother is a D.C. corrections officer, and one of his aunts, Kimberly Taylor, is a veteran D.C. police sergeant. “He’s been taught to respect the law and uphold the law,” Kimberly Taylor said.

 

“Right after the crash, Bullock told family members he was driving the speed limit when he came upon the crowd standing in the middle of the road in Accokeek. But at last week’s news conference, Ivey said surveillance photos and witness accounts led police to conclude that Bullock was racing.  Bullock’s relatives declined to comment yesterday.”  (Castaneda, Ruben.  “Men Charged in Race Lied, Prosecutors Say.” Washington Post, 8-5-2008.)

 

Feb 19, 2010 (Garner): “The defense for a man on trial for vehicular manslaughter in the 2008 Accokeek street-racing crash that killed eight people pushed jurors Wednesday to disregard an incriminating statement the man gave to police, arguing the officer knew the man was high on marijuana at the time.  Defense attorney J. Wyndal Gordon unsuccessfully asked the Prince George’s County judge in April to throw out the statement defendant Tavon J. Taylor, 20, of Waldorf gave to police in July 2008.  The statement surrounded his alleged involvement in an illegal street race connected to the Feb. 16, 2008, crash along a stretch of Indian Head Highway/Route 210 in Accokeek.  Taylor, who pleaded not guilty, faces eight counts of vehicular manslaughter and a maximum of 80 years in prison if convicted in the trial, which began Feb. 1.

 

“In the statement to Prince George’s County Police Department Cpl. Christopher Hinkson, Taylor allegedly admitted to racing along Indian Head Highway the night of the crash. However, in the statement, Hinkson checked a box indicating Taylor was under the influence of a substance at the time, and Gordon said Taylor claims he told the officer he was high.  Taylor also claimed authorities promised him they would drop the charges if he made a statement.

 

“But in court Tuesday and Wednesday, Hinkson disputed the claims, testifying he did not know Taylor was high on marijuana, and Hinkson made a mistake in checking the waiver form.  He also told jurors he never promised Taylor anything if he made statements, and that Taylor was forthcoming in giving the statement.  “When I came into [the station, Taylor] stood up and apologized to me for lying,” Hinkson told jurors, referring to other statements Taylor gave to Hinkson, in which Taylor allegedly said he was not involved in the street race. “He said, ‘I had to tell the truth.'”

 

“Police said Taylor and Darren Bullock, 22, of Waldorf were racing on Indian Head Highway and were blinded by smoke from a previous street race when Bullock’s vehicle plowed into a crowd of about 200 people that had gathered to watch the previous race.

 

“Bullock pleaded guilty Jan. 29 to eight counts of vehicular manslaughter and is expected to be sentenced March 1 to up to 15 years in jail.

 

“The prosecution, led by Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Glenn F. Ivey, has argued that although Taylor’s vehicle did not strike the victims, the alleged race between Taylor and Bullock makes them both responsible for the deaths.

 

“Gordon also suggested the officer falsified Taylor’s incriminating statements. Gordon called into question three interviews from February 2008 through that July in which, Gordon said, Hinkson failed to allow Taylor to review his statements and did not ask Taylor to sign his statements. Gordon also called into question Hinkson’s training on recognizing if someone is under the influence of controlled substances.  When Gordon asked Hinkson why he didn’t require Taylor to review or sign statements entered into a computer in March of 2008, Hinkson said he “didn’t think it was necessary.”  “I took steps to accurately take down statements,” he said.

 

“But when Gordon asked Hinkson if he had any proof the statements entered were accurate, Hinkson fired back, telling Gordon his question suggests Hinkson falsified the documents.  “That’s exactly what I am suggesting,” Gordon interjected.

 

“During court proceedings Tuesday, an expert witness from the state’s medical examiner’s office delivered graphic testimony to jurors of how the victims perished.  The testimony by Carol Allen, an assistant medical examiner whose office performed autopsy reports on the victims, also called into question whether all eight people died during the actual crash or whether some were instead killed by other vehicles leaving the scene in the ensuing pandemonium.

 

“In her testimony, Allen said it was likely some of the victims were struck and run over by more than one vehicle, which the defense argued could mean Bullock’s car might not have been responsible for all eight deaths.

 

“During cross-examination, Gordon led Allen to clarify there is no way of proving Bullock’s vehicle struck and killed all eight victims, and he maintained some victims could have been struck by vehicles fleeing the scene or vehicles already passing on the roadway.

 

“On Tuesday, Allen also presented at times discomfiting diagrams of how each victim died. She described skull fractures, severed limbs and disembowelments, telling the jury the carnage caused to the victims’ bodies could have only been more extreme if they were struck by trains.  “As prosecution has argued in court, the jury needs to be aware of the seriousness of these events,” said Ramon Korionoff, a spokesman for Ivey.”  (Garner, Joshua. “Defense questions cops’ credibility in racing trial. Eight deaths were result of Accokeek street race.” SoMdNews.Com.  2-19-2010.)

 

March 10, 2010 (Garner): “Darren J. Bullock bowed his head and his family members wept after the Waldorf resident was sentenced last week to 15 years in prison for the deaths of eight people along a stretch of Accokeek highway in February 2008….

 

“Bullock entered a guilty plea in January to all eight counts, which reduced his sentence to 30 years with all but 15 suspended, and the prosecution agreed to drop the reckless driving and speed racing charges against him.

 

“Ervin Gardner, 39, of Oxon Hill; Daryl Wills, 38, of Clinton; Maycol Lopez, 20, of Gaithersburg; Otis Williams, 35, of Indian Head; Milton Pinkney, 41, of Aquasco; Blaine Briscoe, 49, of La Plata; William Gaines, 61, of Nanjemoy and Mark Courtney, 34, of Leonardtown were all killed in the crash….

 

“On March 1, at the conclusion of Taylor’s trial, which began Feb. 1, the jury was deadlocked on the manslaughter charges. A retrial is scheduled to begin Oct. 18.

 

“Inside the Prince George’s County courtroom March 2, Circuit Court Judge Michael P. Whalen said his sentencing of Bullock reflected testimony from family and victims of the accident during Taylor’s trial.  “Mr. Bullock, I know that you did not intend on what took place. I could not remove from my mind the description of witnesses [there that night],” he said. “No one who was there that morning will forget the carnage they saw.”

 

“In a written statement, Bullock told the judge, “I understand the great pain the accident has caused, and my heart goes out to the victims’ families.”….

 

“Michael Walls, who said he is a father figure to Bullock, told reporters gathered outside that although Bullock entered a guilty plea, he maintained he was not racing the morning of the accident….

 

“Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Glenn F. Ivey, who is prosecuting both cases, told reporters that Bullock’s plea reflected that he was involved in a street race….”  (Garner, Joshua. “Waldorf man gets 15 years for role in street race deaths.” SoMdNews.Com 3-10-2010.)

 

July 2, 2010 (Garner): “Prince George’s County police said they ticketed and impounded vehicles from approximately 200 people who gathered Wednesday night along Route 210/Indian Head Highway for an organized illegal street race.  The race was broken up around 11:30 p.m. along the intersection of Livingston Road and Route 210 near the Route 223 exit and was less than a mile from where the deadly 2008 street-racing crash killed eight people and injured five others along the same highway.

 

“The county police department’s Traffic Enforcement Unit responded to calls from residents in the area who reported seeing 200 people gather along the highway. They were able to stop the race before it began.  “The traffic unit observed approximately 200 individuals getting ready for a speed contest,” said Col. Michael Blow, deputy chief of the department’s patrol bureau, during a press conference today at police headquarters in Palmer Park. “We’re not going to tolerate irresponsible driving.”  Blow said police issued 150 citations, 25 vehicle-repair orders and 100 verbal warnings for trespassing on the highway, which is state-owned, and impounded four vehicles.

 

“The Traffic Enforcement Unit was formed in late May to handle these types of incidents in the county, Blow said, adding the unit has been increasing patrols along the highway and continues to coordinate with Maryland State Police.  Blow said the people who organized the race are likely part of the same network of people who organized the deadly street race in the early hours of Feb. 16, 2008, when 200 people gathered along the highway.

 

“Like that race, at Wednesday’s race there was a large range of ages and people from as far away as Baltimore, Montgomery County, Prince George’s County, Northern Virginia and southern Maryland, Blow said.

 

“This fall, a retrial in Prince George’s County court is expected to begin for one of the men indicted in the 2008 crash — Tavon Taylor, 21, of Waldorf — after a mistrial in February. Darren Bullock, 23, of Waldorf pleaded guilty in March to eight counts of vehicular manslaughter and was sentenced to 15 years in prison.

 

“Blow said the street-racing network in southern Maryland has gone digital, posting race information on social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter.  “It’s a very elaborate network they have,” he said. “There are some individuals who sort of feel they’re immortal and that can’t happen to me,” he said, referring to drivers or spectators who are killed or injured during illegal street racing.”  (Garner, Joshua. “Police breakup Indian Head Highway street race in Accokeek. Crowd broken up Wednesday night near site of deadly 2008 crash.” Gazette.Net, 7-2-2010.)

 

Sep 19, 2011, WJLA: “A man facing vehicular manslaughter in the 2008 Accokeek street-racing tragedy had his second trial postponed.  Tavon Taylor, 21, of Waldorf, was allegedly involved in a street race Feb. 16, 2008, with Darren Bullock, 22, of Waldorf, on Rout 210/Indian Head Highway.

 

“According to police, Taylor and Bullock were blinded by smoke from a previous street race when Bullock’s vehicle–a white Crown Victoria–plowed into a crowd of about 200 people, killing eight.  The prosecution has argued that although Taylor’s vehicle, a green Grand Marquis, did not strike the victims, the alleged race between Taylor and Bullock makes them both responsible for the eight deaths.

 

“After two days of deliberation, the PG County jury found Taylor guilty of two traffic charges, speed racing and reckless driving, which carry a combined fine of $1,000.  They failed to reach a unanimous verdict in the manslaughter charges, with nine believing Taylor was guilty and three believing he was not, according to lead defense attorney J. Wyndal Gordon.  Gordon said he believes the state’s case against Taylor will become more difficult as time passes, with witnesses having a harder time recalling a morning that already is two years ago. Taylor faces a maximum of 80 years in prison if convicted.

 

“Bullock pleaded guilty January 29 and is expected to be sentenced Tuesday to up to 15 years in jail.  Witnesses who were at the street race when Bullock’s car hit the crowd, as well as an assistant medical examiner who helped perform autopsies on the victims, have given grisly accounts about the crash and gruesome fatal injuries.

 

“The lead collision analyst for the crash, Prince George’s County Police Department Cpl. Christopher Hinkson, testified Bullock’s vehicle was traveling between 75 and 102 miles per hour when it hit the crowd.”  (WJLA.com. “Tavon Taylor, street racer accused of killing 8, trial delayed.” 9-19-2011.)

 

June 4, 2015:  “Two young men, 20 and 18, facing north. Two straight lanes, clear and flat, inviting them into a very dark place….Let’s say Darren Bullock and Tavon Taylor race. Each will admit to it later; each will deny it later. But let’s say they start right here in the same spot, and let’s leave the video evidence and the eyewitness evidence and the skid marks and the cops and the state’s attorneys and the media attention out of it for a moment. Let’s just say they race because, quite simply, that’s what young men do here….

 

[Notes that no one in the first race, nor “any of the other drivers from the organized races. Nor…the people who gathered there and helped arrange it” get as much as a traffic ticket.]

 

“After 15 hours of deliberation, they return a verdict. Tavon is guilty of reckless driving and engaging in a speed contest, they say. But on the eight counts of manslaughter, one for each person who died that night, nine jurors favor conviction, three don’t. Mistrial.

 

“The state’s attorneys, Ivey and Adams, make big statements that afternoon, saying they’ll re-try the case vigorously again that fall, but they know that won’t happen. They can’t re-create a case like this. They can’t re-create tears from some witnesses or catching others in a lie. They can’t spend another month in court. They can’t put people through that. They know they’ll never get a full conviction.

 

“The jury’s message is this: Tavon was racing Darren that night, but he didn’t hit anybody and probably isn’t guilty of killing anyone. He won because he lost the race.

 

“On March 2, 2010, two years after he sat at the stoplight at the Burger King and gunned it, and one day after the driver of the other car was set free, Darren is sentenced to 15 years. His family and friends bawl outside the courthouse. Speaking into news cameras, they tell the families of the victims that they’re sorry for their loss, but now, they’ve lost, too….

 

“Three months after he’s sentenced, Darren sits down in his jail cell and pens a letter in neat handwriting to the judge. “I have enrolled in every self-help group that this institution has to offer,” he writes. “I would also like to better my future while I’m here by attending college courses and shop programs.” He asks for a modification to his sentence to help him meet the guidelines for attending the college program — among them, he needs to have less than seven years left on his sentence. His request is denied.

 

“Tavon, meanwhile, enrolls at Shaw University in Raleigh, North Carolina, where he majors in accounting. In the fall of 2010, Tavon’s retrial is pushed back. Nothing happens at all in 2011, except that people move on. Tavon becomes a sophomore in college. The attorneys work new cases. The witnesses try to forget what they saw.

 

“Finally, on Jan. 30, 2012, Tavon quietly makes a trip to the Prince George’s County Circuit Courthouse. The Warrior Lawyer[1] quietly makes the drive down from his office in Baltimore. Adams, the assistant state’s attorney, quietly makes his way to the courthouse, too. The same judge is also here. No news crews or reporters are alerted.

 

“With nobody watching, they reach an agreement. Nearly four years to the day after the accident, after dozens of false statements from witnesses and a month-long trial that covered Snowmageddon and ended in a deadlocked jury, Tavon enters an Alford plea of guilty to two counts of manslaughter, the same charge Darren faced, in the deaths of Ervin Lee Gardner and William Gaines. In an Alford plea, the defendant maintains his innocence but admits that the prosecution has enough evidence to find him guilty. Most of the time, defendants use an Alford guilty plea to avoid the harsher sentence that would come from going to trial and losing. Prosecutors generally accept the plea to avoid a trial and the possibility a defendant might be found not guilty and go unpunished.

 

“In exchange for this admission, Tavon gets five years probation, a $1,000 fine, and no jail time.

 

“This time, there is no press release.

 

“Two young men, older now. Two guilty pleas, slightly different, to the same crime.

 

“On May 10, 2014, one young man is in a prison in Hagerstown, Maryland; the other receives a degree in business administration in front of a crowd of more than 5,000 people at Shaw University’s graduation.

 

“In January 2015, one is in a prison in Hagerstown, Maryland; the other starts his first day at work as a loan verification analyst for a major bank in Raleigh, according to his LinkedIn page….

 

“The young man in the right lane in the Crown Victoria is in prison, and the young man in the left lane in the Grand Marquis is a college graduate who has a good job and a lot going on….

 

“What’s a mistake worth? It seems that depends. If you’re any of the boys who’ve raced on this highway over the last 50 years, it might’ve cost you a speeding ticket. If you’re one of the eight-second street racers from the night of the accident at Accokeek, there’s no penalty at all. If you’re one of the eight people swept away by a speeding car while watching an illegal race, it’s your life.

 

“When the cameras were on this case, the attorneys were brilliant and persuasive and battled like crazy. But two years after Darren was sentenced to 15 years, those same people worked out a deal to give Tavon probation and a fine for pleading guilty to the exact same charge.

 

“The attorneys’ careers certainly weren’t hurt by the accident. Adams says that “Accokeek,” as he refers to the case, was “a once-in-a-lifetime prosecution.” Then he thinks about it and says he’s had other good ones, too. “I’ve had a Forrest Gump career about catching good cases at good times,” he says, and Accokeek was a good case. This past fall, he was elected to be the state’s attorney of Anne Arundel County, one of the richest counties in one of the richest states in the country.

 

“Meanwhile, Ivey, the state’s attorney on the Accokeek case, is running for Congress this year in Maryland’s Fourth District. As of early April, the Democrat had raised twice as much as his closest competitor.

 

“Gordon continues to be seen in places where he can be seen by many. He talks for an hour about the case and, even now, never concedes that Tavon was racing. This spring, Gordon was on camera speaking at a protest in front of Baltimore City Hall after Freddie Gray’s death. His Twitter page includes a picture of him holding up his fists. He was one of the last people to talk to John Allen Muhammad, the D.C. sniper, before his execution in Virginia….” (Graff, Michael. “Two Lanes to Accokeek.” SBNation, 6-4-2015.)

 

Sources

 

Castaneda, Ruben. “Men Charged in Race Lied, Prosecutors Say.” Washington Post, 8-5-2008. At:  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/04/AR2008080400963.html

 

Frederick News-Post, MD. “8 Killed When Drag Race Turns Deadly.” 2-17-2008, A8. Accessed at:  http://newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=149564544

 

Frederick News-Post, MD. “Celebrated in pop culture, street racing thrives.” 3-1-2008, p. Auto-4. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=131134617

 

Garner, Joshua. “Defense questions cops’ credibility in racing trial. Eight deaths were result of Accokeek street race.” SoMdNews.Com.  2-19-2010. Accessed 3-29-2012 at:  http://ww2.somdnews.com/stories/02192010/indytop173125_32229.shtml

 

Garner, Joshua. “Police breakup Indian Head Highway street race in Accokeek. Crowd broken up Wednesday night near site of deadly 2008 crash.” Gazette.Net, 7-2-2010. Accessed 3-20-2012 at: http://ww2.gazette.net/stories/07022010/prinnew155243_32574.php

 

Garner, Joshua. “Waldorf man gets 15 years for role in street race deaths.” SoMdNews.Com 3-10-2010. Accessed 3-20-2012 at: http://ww2.somdnews.com/stories/03102010/indytop175621_32250.shtml

 

Graff, Michael. “Two Lanes to Accokeek.” SBNation, 6-4-2015. Accessed 6-27-2015 at: http://www.sbnation.com/longform/2015/6/4/8694199/accokeek-street-racing-disaster

 

Manning, Stephen (AP). “8 die in Maryland as car slams into crowd watching drag race.” Winchester Star, VA, 2-18-2008, 3. http://newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=150214378

 

Spak, Kevin. “8 Killed in Street Race Crash.” Newser, 2-16-2008. Accessed 3-19-2012 at: http://www.newser.com/story/19230/8-killed-in-street-race-crash.html

 

The Capital, Annapolis, MD. “Driver in crash gets community service for unrelated infraction.” 3-28-2008, 4. At: http://newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=131133821

 

WJLA, ABC7, Washington, DC. “Tavon Taylor, street racer accused of killing 8, trial delayed.” 9-19-2011. At: http://www.wjla.com/articles/2011/09/tavon-taylor-street-racer-accused-of-killing-8-back-in-court-for-re-trial-66718.html

 

 

 

 

 

 

[1] Earlier in the article, noting that “Where there’s a high-profile crème, there’s opportunity” Graff provides the name of the lawyer — J. Wyndal Gordon “whose self-given nickname is The Warrior Lawyer, a savvy, fast-talking, camera-loving defense attorney who has devoted his life to raising a reasonable doubt. One of his previous clients was John Allen Muhammad, the man convicted of being the sniper who terrorized the Washington area in 2002.”