By Clarence E. Hill Jr. and Bill Miller Star-Telegram Dallas Bureau
DALLAS - Cowboys cornerback Dwayne Goodrich was the driver of a gray BMW involved in a hit-and- run accident that killed two people who were trying to rescue a man from a burning car on Interstate 35E Tuesday morning, his agent said.
After meeting with police Tuesday afternoon, Goodrich, 24, was driven to the Lew Sterrett Justice Center to turn himself in about 11 p.m.
"It was a tragic thing. It was poor judgment in leaving the scene," said the agent, Steve Zucker. "He panicked."
Two men _ Demont Matthews, 23, and Joseph Wood, 21, both of Plano _ died after being struck, a spokesman for the Dallas County Medical Examiner's Office said. A third man was also injured.
Senior Cpl. Diana Watts, a police spokeswoman, said the first accident occurred about 2:15 a.m. when a car caught fire after it clipped the back of a northbound semi-trailer truck. Both vehicles became disabled in the second to the left lane of the 11100 block of I-35E, also known as North Stemmons Freeway.
Police said witnesses told them that the driver of the gray BMW was speeding at about 110 mph on the freeway, between Walnut Hill Lane and Royal Lane in northwest Dallas.
Watts said the man who was trapped in the flaming car escaped without major injuries. A third rescuer suffered a broken leg, but he was expected to be released from Parkland Memorial Hospital.
Matthews was a passenger of the flaming car, and he jumped out to help the driver. He was soon joined by Wood and another man who came from across the highway.
"While they were doing that, a gray BMW struck all three of them," Watts said.
Matthews died at the scene, and Wood died about three hours later at Parkland, according to reports.
Zucker said Goodrich swerved to avoid an accident and "hit something." The agent said Goodrich didn't realize the significance until Tuesday morning, when he saw the damage to his car and decided to surrender to police.
According to sources, Goodrich immediately contacted his attorney and met with him at 1 p.m. Tuesday. Dallas lawyer Reed Prospere called police. The police arrived, and Goodrich gave a written statement at 4 p.m.
He surrendered to police, who drove him first to the south entrance of the justice center, where a crowd, including camera crews, was waiting. The unmarked police car then backed out of the jail entrance, and an officer was overheard telling a cameraman that Goodrich had been assured that no cameras would be present.
The police car pulled away from the building, followed by camera crews. A few minutes later, the car returned to the north entrance, and Goodrich, wearing a light blue jogging suit, was hurried into the building.
Calvin Hill, Cowboys consultant for player programs, 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 this loss of life." Goodrich is a third-year cornerback who played mostly on special teams for the Cowboys. He had five tackles this season. The second-round draft pick out of the University of Tennessee played in 11 games this season and made his only NFL start Dec. 21 against Philadelphia.
The deaths occurred less than 24 hours after Dallas police announced a yearlong traffic safety initiative. Officers intend to reduce traffic deaths in the city by strictly enforcing speed limits and seat-belt laws.
------------------------------------------------------------
Obviously the lawyer is lying through his teeth. You don't come across an accident while speeding, divert into the median, hit something, and then not think to check for damage until the morning. Unless perhaps you are doped up or drunk as a skunk.
By CHARLES RICHARDS, Associated Press Writer
DALLAS - Cowboys reserve defensive back Dwayne Goodrich was charged with two counts of manslaughter in connection with a high-speed hit-and-run accident that killed two people and injured two others.
Dallas County Sheriff's Department spokesman Don Peritz said Goodrich was taken to the county jail. A magistrate set bonds of $25,000 for the second-degree felony warrants.
"He turned himself in today and told them what happened. He's devastated. It was a tragic accident," Goodrich's agent, Stephen Zucker, told The Associated Press.
Peritz said Goodrich was to be arraigned in a process that could take several hours.
"We were informed on Tuesday of this tragic situation. It is a police matter, and we will continue to monitor the developments," said Calvin Hill, coordinator of the Player Assistance department for the Cowboys. "We are deeply saddened for the families who have experienced the loss of life."
Police said a car clipped a tractor-trailer rig and caught fire about 2:15 a.m. Tuesday on Interstate 35 in North Dallas.
As three people came to help the driver out of the burning car, another car came speeding through the scene at an estimated 110 mph. Officers said the driver tried to swerve between the disabled vehicles and hit several people, two of whom were killed.
"While they were doing that, a gray BMW struck all three of them," said Senior Cpl. Diana Watts, a Dallas police spokeswoman.
She said the driver tried to weave around the disabled vehicles but could not avoid hitting the rescuers.
The dead were identified as Joseph Wood, 21, and Demont Matthews, 23. The other rescuer had a broken leg. The driver was not seriously injured.
Police said there were no skid marks to indicate the car's speed or that it tried to stop.
Zucker said he last talked to the 24-year-old defensive back by telephone Tuesday night. Zucker declined to discuss the accident.
< snip >
Goodrich was arrested in September 1999, during his senior year at Tennessee, on a charge of disorderly conduct. Those charges were later dropped, but Goodrich conceded that he was "drinking too much."