A man has been charged by Virginia State Police with aggravated involuntary manslaughter in connection with a recent fatal DUI crash in Goochland County Virginia. Virginia Code Section 18.2-36.1 provides that if a motorist is Driving Under the Influence and they unintentionally kill someone, they are guilty of involuntary manslaughter. To elevate involuntary manslaughter to aggravated involuntary manslaughter the Virginia Code requires:
B. If, in addition, the conduct of the defendant was so gross, wanton and culpable as to show a reckless disregard for human life, he shall be guilty of aggravated involuntary manslaughter, a felony punishable by a term of imprisonment of not less than one nor more than 20 years, one year of which shall be a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment.
According to state police, 51-year-old Manakin-Sabot resident David Leon Stinson was charged with aggravated involuntary manslaughter and driving under the influence after a two-vehicle crash that took the life of 27-year-old Montpelier resident Thomas Wayne Duke.
On the day of the crash, Stinson was driving his pickup truck north on Manakin Road when he crossed a center line and hit the car of 21-year-old Rockville resident George Robert Brown IV. Duke was Brown’s passenger.
Police said Stinson and Brown received transport to VCU Medical Center with non-life threatening injuries, but Duke was pronounced dead at the scene.
