Cowboy charged in fatal hit-and-run
Posted on 01/15/2003 12:52:36 AM PST by MeekOneGOP
Cowboy charged in fatal hit-and-run
Victims were rescuing man from buring car; cornerback 'devastated'
01/15/2003
A Dallas Cowboys player was jailed late Tuesday in connection with a hit-and-run accident that killed two men who stopped to rescue a motorist from a burning car along Interstate 35E.
The gray BMW that killed Joseph Wood and Demont Matthews of Plano is registered to Cowboys backup cornerback Dwayne Goodrich, according to Stephen W. Zucker, Mr. Goodrich's Chicago-based agent.
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Mr. Zucker said Mr. Goodrich, 24, contacted police Tuesday because he knew they would be looking for him. Police escorted him into Lew Sterrett Justice Center at 11:20 p.m.
He was charged with two counts of manslaughter. Bail was set at $50,000. He posted bail and left the jail around 2:15 a.m.
Police said at a news conference early Wednesday that other charges may be considered, including failure to stop and render aid.
"He's just devastated by all of this, absolutely devastated," Mr. Zucker said, declining to comment further.
Mr. Goodrich met with his attorney at 1 p.m. Tuesday at the attorney's office in Dallas, according to a source close to the player. Police were called at 4 p.m. Mr. Goodrich was questioned extensively at the office and provided a written statement to police, the source said.
The source confirmed that Mr. Goodrich was behind the wheel of the BMW.
Calvin Hill, coordinator of the Cowboys' player assistance department, said: 'We were informed on Tuesday of this tragic situation. It is a police matter, and we will continue to monitor the developments. We are deeply saddened for the families who have experienced the loss of life."
Mr. Goodrich, the Cowboys' second-round draft pick in 2000 from the University of Tennessee, could not be reached for comment.
People at Mr. Goodrich's Coppell home would not answer the door or telephone.
Dallas police did not return calls seeking comment about the driver' identity. However, an officer at the city auto pound confirmed that a gray-silver BMW had been impounded late Tuesday.
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Mr. Wood and Mr. Matthews had pulled off the freeway between Walnut Hill and Royal lanes about 2:15 a.m. Tuesday to assist the driver of a car that caught fire after rear-ending a disabled 18-wheeler in the northbound lanes.
As the two childhood friends joined a third man trying to rescue the driver of the burning car, a gray BMW attempted to pass the disabled vehicle in the median and struck the three men, said Lt. John Branton, a supervisor in the police traffic division.
Mr. Wood and Mr. Matthews died from their injuries; the third man suffered a broken leg. The man driving the burning car was injured, but police said he was expected to survive.
Lt. Branton said there were no skid marks to indicate the BMW's speed or that it tried to stop. Witnesses told police the BMW was traveling more than 100 mph.
"The suspect never slowed down and did not stop to provide aid," according to the police report. Mark Reiland, 44, of The Colony was among the witnesses to the crash.
ROBERT FLAGG / WFAA-TV Two men were killed and another injured early Tuesday by a hit-and-run driver on I-35E. |
"The driver door was open, and three or four people were trying to get the guy out of the burning car," he said. "The hit-and-run driver literally fit through there like an hourglass or something and pushed the car out of the way as it went.
"When the car came through, all I saw was a streak and the collision."
Mr. Reiland said the people trying to help risked their lives.
"You were taking a huge risk just being out there," he said. "Yet people were still out there doing that."
Danny Matthews, Demont Matthews' father, said the BMW driver needs to admit what he did.
"Sometimes, we all do things that are wrong. But we pay for our mistakes," he said. "He hit a nice guy. If Demont wasn't such a good person and he hadn't stopped, he'd still be here today."
The younger Mr. Matthews, 23, and Mr. Wood, 21, knew each other for more than 10 years, and their families have been close even longer.
Mr. Wood's family could not be reached for comment. Police did not release the identities of the other two people injured.
A police report said Mr. Matthews was in the car that struck the 18-wheeler, but his father said he was riding with Mr. Wood. They did not know the two people in the burning car, the victim's father said. Dallas police could not clear up the discrepancy late Tuesday.
Mr. Matthews was a 1998 graduate of a Plano high school. He was searching for a job after being laid off in December from Target, his father said.
Helping others was not unusual for Mr. Matthews, who often played ball with neighborhood children, his family said.
"He goes out of his way to help anyone he can," his father said. "I'll tell you what, you would like him. He would always have a smile on his face."
The last person to speak with the younger Mr. Matthews was his mother.
"I don't know what he was out doing," his father said. "He told his mother, "Mama, I'll see you tomorrow" But he didn't make it."
The speeding BMW dragged Mr. Matthews 155 feet, according to the police report. He died at the scene. Mr. Wood died later in the morning.
Mr. Goodrich received a $1 million signing bonus from the Cowboys in 2000, and he has been a costly project. He battled back from a torn Achilles' tendon that ended his 2001 season. The team has kept him because of his potential.
Coaches had given up on Mr. Goodrich and were ready to cut him after a loss at Philadelphia early in the season, but an injury to another player spared him. On Dec. 8, he was blamed for a loss to the San Francisco 49ers after he was beaten on two touchdown passes.
Staff writers Chip Brown in Mobile, Ala., Holly Warren in Coppell and Tiara M. Ellis in Dallas contributed to this report.
E-mail jemily@dallasnews.com or jtaylor@dallasnews.com
Lt. Branton said there were no skid marks to indicate the BMW’s speed or that it tried to stop. Witnesses told police the BMW was traveling more than 100 mph.
“The suspect never slowed down and did not stop to provide aid,” according to the police report. Mark Reiland, 44, of The Colony was among the witnesses to the crash.
“The driver door was open, and three or four people were trying to get the guy out of the burning car,” he said. “The hit-and-run driver literally fit through there like an hourglass or something and pushed the car out of the way as it went.
“When the car came through, all I saw was a streak and the collision.”
Mr. Reiland said the people trying to help risked their lives.
“You were taking a huge risk just being out there,” he said. “Yet people were still out there doing that.”
Danny Matthews, Demont Matthews’ father, said the BMW driver needs to admit what he did.
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The speeding BMW dragged Mr. Matthews 155 feet, according to the police report. He died at the scene. Mr. Wood died later in the morning.
Please let me know if you want ON or OFF my Texas ping list!. . .don't be shy.
No, you don't HAVE to be a Texan to get on this list!
failing to stop and render aid, leaving the scene of a crime, violation of federal stupidity laws,
and with his previous record, could lead to serious jail time. Especially to a second stringer.
Click here for article on death of killer.
Yep, when some wretched murderer dies or someone kills innocent people, it should warrant about 15-20 replies.
He's not going to get away with this with a mere slap on the wrist. Jocks sometimes get breaks on drug offenses (although Nate Newton is in prison, and I think Bam Morris is also). But Goodrich certainly will join them. You don't get probation for Felony Hit and Run, and two counts of manslaughter.
Not in Texas. Not for anyone.
He wouldn't have made it anyway, he was by far the worst player on the team. It amazed me he stayed as long as he did.
And we'll never know what was in his bloodstream at the time of impact, either.
I can't even imagine what the poor guy looked like after this.
String Goodrich up. Moron...
2nd Degree Felony: 2-20 years in jail; $10,000 also possible in addition to jail time
I said that very same thing after the San Francisco game.
Where do you see that here? From all indications, they are going to throw the book at him and he'll never set foot on an NFL field again.
If I was ever responsible for something like this, I wouldn't be able to live with myself. Then again, I'd never plow through an accident scene at 100mph. Those two men are dead due to an act of incredible stupidity.
He was finished as a player even before the accident.
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