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Dwayne Goodrich: 'I regret that I panicked' - witness statement implies he was racing another car
The Dallas Morning News ^ | February 1, 2003 | By TANYA EISERER / The Dallas Morning News

Posted on 02/01/2003 2:34:45 AM PST by MeekOneGOP


Dwayne Goodrich: 'I regret that I panicked'

02/01/2003

By TANYA EISERER / The Dallas Morning News

Dallas Cowboys player Dwayne Goodrich "panicked" and drove home after hitting what he thought was a tire or debris while driving along Interstate 35E in the early morning hours of Jan. 14, according to a written statement he gave police.

He wrote that he went home, put his car in his garage and walked to a friend's house, where he called his "mother, agent, lawyer and we called the police to report this," he wrote.

Also Online

Goodrich's statement (Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader)

Police said Mr. Goodrich had fatally struck Demont Matthews, 23, and Joseph Wood, 21, who had pulled over to help a motorist trapped in a burning car after an earlier accident with a tractor-trailer cab.

"I am very sorry for the pain that I have caused anyone," Mr. Goodrich wrote. "I regret that I panicked and did not stop."

Mr. Goodrich's signed statement, along with other court and police documents, were released Friday by the Dallas County district attorney's office after a grand jury staff member mistakenly released them to a member of the media Thursday.

Demont Matthews
"If it's out there in the public domain, then we feel like we have to be fair to everybody," First Assistant District Attorney Mike Carnes said.

Mr. Carnes said no decisions have been made about whether the employee will be disciplined.

Reed Prospere, Mr. Goodrich's attorney, said: "Mistakes happen. This obviously was a mistake."

Mr. Goodrich faces two counts of manslaughter and three counts of failure to stop and render aid.

Joseph Wood
His statement said he was driving about 75 mph, but nine witnesses told police Mr. Goodrich's BMW was traveling from 90 mph to 120 mph, the reports show.

Witness statements paint a picture of the early-morning events:

Michael Long, a long-haul truck driver, was traveling north when a black Mitsubishi slammed into the rear of his tractor-trailer cab as he was driving 60 mph. He stopped, pulled over and saw the men hit.

Shuki Josef and his wife, Pamela, of Dallas stopped to help when they saw the burning car and two men trying to rescue the driver. Mr. Josef said the driver was trapped by his seat belt and sent his wife to get scissors from their car parked on the shoulder of the freeway. He told police he heard a loud noise, looked up and saw a speeding vehicle approaching. He was knocked back and suffered a broken leg.

Rick Workman of Krum said he looked in his rearview mirror and saw two speeding vehicles racing in and out of traffic. The silver BMW passed to his left. A white car passed to his right.

Dallas police Lt. John Branton said investigators have no evidence that Mr. Goodrich was racing.

"He denies having been racing. ... That's at a dead end at this point," Lt. Branton said.

Marco Cardenas of Flower Mound told police he was going about 70 mph, and the BMW passed him as if he were standing still. He saw brake lights as the BMW swerved quickly to the left. He heard the crash as smoke and debris flew.

Several hours later, police said they got a tip that the driver of the BMW was Mr. Goodrich. They contacted his attorney and met with Mr. Goodrich that afternoon.

Investigators retrieved the BMW from his garage in Coppell. They have collected blood, hair and tissue evidence from the car, which sustained "extensive damage to the front right, hood, windshield and right side," according to the police report.

Mr. Goodrich remains free on bond.

E-mail teiserer@dallasnews.com


Online at: http://www.dallasnews.com/latestnews/stories/020103dnmetgoodrich.ceb15b8.html


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; News/Current Events; US: Texas
KEYWORDS: dallas; dallascowboys; dwaynegoodrich; hitandrun; manslaughter; texas
This is a new aspect to me. I don't recall this coming out before now:

Rick Workman of Krum said he looked in his rearview mirror and saw two speeding vehicles racing in and out of traffic. The silver BMW passed to his left. A white car passed to his right.

Dallas police Lt. John Branton said investigators have no evidence that Mr. Goodrich was racing.

"He denies having been racing. ... That's at a dead end at this point," Lt. Branton said.


1 posted on 02/01/2003 2:34:45 AM PST by MeekOneGOP
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To: All
Dwayne Goodrich
2 posted on 02/01/2003 2:38:11 AM PST by MeekOneGOP (9 out of 10 Republicans agree: Bush IS a Genius !!)
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To: MeeknMing
Two people are dead. Witnesses state the speed was 90 to 120 miles per hour. One witness gives a very clear description of racing. The driver admits hit and run. While he claims he thought he hit a tire, why would he call police for having hit a tire?

The racing is a dead end? He's still out on his own recognizance?

Geeeeeeeeeeeeez, what do you have to do to be taken into custody these days?

3 posted on 02/01/2003 3:41:51 AM PST by DoughtyOne
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To: MeeknMing
Police said Mr. Goodrich had fatally struck Demont Matthews, 23, and Joseph Wood, 21, who had pulled over to help a motorist trapped in a burning car after an earlier accident with a tractor-trailer cab.

Two lives, good Samaritans on top of it, snuffed out in a flash. God have mercy on their souls. Prayers to the families...

4 posted on 02/01/2003 4:13:57 AM PST by Caipirabob ([Formerly: Yakboy] Democrat.. Socialist..Commie..Traitor...Who can tell the difference?)
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To: DoughtyOne
Witnesses state the speed was 90 to 120 miles per hour.

People are very bad at judging speed. I am part of a safety committee that reviews accidents for the company I work for, doesn't make me a expert, but I have reviewed many of these incidents.

"Your truck was driving 80 MPH in a 45 MPH zone. I followed him though three red lights" is a very typical statement, which can not happen because our trucks are governed at 55 MPH.

My point being, witnesses are not very reliable. His broken car and two dead bodies are testimony enough to the fact he was deserves to be in the gray bar hotel, unless of course he is a NBA star and all is forgiven.

5 posted on 02/01/2003 4:21:05 AM PST by JZoback
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To: MeeknMing
Soon we'll find out what kind of player Goodrich is. If he's any good he ain't going to prison.
6 posted on 02/01/2003 5:03:18 AM PST by sakic
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To: DoughtyOne
Geeeeeeeeeeeeez, what do you have to do to be taken into custody these days?

ANSWER: Be the same person, sans the celebrity. If he was just Jo Average under the same conditions, he'd be under the jail.
7 posted on 02/07/2003 12:21:24 PM PST by Shorty Dog
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To: JZoback
I wouldn't be surprised that folks embellish their stories to make sure "someone pays". I'd agree the broken car, plus the phone call to police, shows involvement and guilty concience. Thanks.
8 posted on 02/07/2003 12:30:57 PM PST by DoughtyOne (Freeper Caribbean Cruise May 31-June 6, Staterooms As Low As $610 Per Person For Entire Week!)
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To: DoughtyOne
Thought he hit a tire that smeared his front end and windshield with blood and tissue, that is. Once he saw that, he immediately panicked. He knew the Police would want to know about rogue tires that suddenly hit cars when they're not speeding and just minding their own business. Good Citizen.
9 posted on 02/07/2003 12:43:11 PM PST by Melinator
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To: Melinator
Heh heh heh. I think you're right.
10 posted on 02/07/2003 8:25:36 PM PST by DoughtyOne (Freeper Caribbean Cruise May 31-June 6, Staterooms As Low As $610 Per Person For Entire Week!)
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