Cowboy admits role in fatal crash
Posted on 01/16/2003 5:51:53 AM PST by MeekOneGOP
Cowboy admits role in fatal crash
Goodrich's confession in hit-and-run came as police were following tip
01/16/2003
Police investigating the hit-and-run deaths of two men early Tuesday were pursuing a tip pointing to Dallas Cowboy Dwayne Goodrich when the player's attorney called midafternoon with his client's confession, police officials said Wednesday.
At his attorney's Dallas office, Mr. Goodrich provided details about his reckless driving, which killed Joseph Wood and Demont Matthews after the football player's visit to a Dallas topless club.
Although the 24-year-old backup cornerback was then allowed to go home with the understanding that he would surrender Wednesday morning, police officials said neither his celebrity nor his prominent attorney secured him a special deal.
"There's nothing unusual about the way this happened," Dallas police spokeswoman Janice Houston said. "In many instances with a hit-and-run driver, they panic, they think about the situation and later decide they want to turn themselves in. Usually in a situation like that, an individual may have already contacted an attorney."
As police continued investigating and began preparing an arrest warrant, Mr. Goodrich and his attorney, Reed Prospere, arranged for him to surrender at the central police substation about 10:30 p.m. Tuesday, sooner than planned.
He was taken to Lew Sterrett Justice Center about 11:20 p.m. and was booked on two charges of manslaughter. He was released about 2:15 a.m. Wednesday after posting a $50,000 bond.
Investigators said an anonymous telephone tipster suggested that Mr. Goodrich was driving the 2002 BMW 745i that struck and killed the two Plano residents and injured a third man as they were trying to pull another motorist from a burning vehicle on Interstate 35E early Tuesday.
Mr. Wood, 21, and Mr. Matthews, 23, had pulled onto the inside shoulder between Walnut Hill and Royal lanes about 2:15 a.m. Tuesday to assist the driver of a car that had caught fire after rear-ending a disabled 18-wheeler in the northbound lanes.
As they struggled to free the trapped man, Mr. Goodrich's BMW drove between the car and the concrete center barrier, striking the three men.
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Mr. Wood and Mr. Matthews were killed, and the third man suffered a broken leg. The driver of the burning car was hurt, but authorities said his injuries were not life-threatening.
Rebecca Lawrence, 19, of Plano witnessed the second accident after she stopped to help the man in the burning car.
"The BMW squealed his brakes," she said. "You could tell his brakes were on, but he never attempted to stop to help. He didn't even slow down."
Witnesses told police the BMW was traveling more than 100 mph; police said no skid marks or other evidence indicated the car's speed. Police said they had not completed a detailed reconstruction of the accident.
Mr. Goodrich told his attorney that he initially thought he avoided the burning vehicle and disabled tractor-trailer by swerving onto the shoulder and thought he had hit only debris as he headed to his Coppell home.
After receiving the telephone tip implicating Mr. Goodrich, investigators looked unsuccessfully for him at his home Tuesday afternoon and at another undisclosed location.
Mr. Prospere arranged a meeting between Mr. Goodrich and police at his office about 4 p.m. By 4:30 p.m. Mr. Goodrich was giving a statement about his involvement in the crash. Police declined to release a copy of that statement Wednesday.
'He feels terrible'
Mr. Prospere said his client was remorseful and ready to accept responsibility once he learned that people had been injured.
"He feels terrible that he's hurt anyone," Mr. Prospere said. "This is a good kid who's embarrassed for himself, his family and the Cowboys organization that he panicked and didn't handle the matter in the way he probably should have."
Mr. Prospere said Mr. Goodrich insisted that he call police Tuesday afternoon and cooperated by giving a statement and allowing officers to impound his vehicle without a court order.
Longtime Dallas defense attorney Tom Mills said it was common for investigators to allow a suspect to return home while they complete paperwork, provided the suspect is not a flight risk.
"I couldn't say that's preferential treatment for a Dallas Cowboy," said Mr. Mills, who is not involved in the case. "They probably thought he was not going to run away because he'd already shown good faith in coming in."
Authorities declined to disclose the nature of the anonymous tip and said there was no indication that anyone was in the car with Mr. Goodrich during the accident.
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Police said they would not describe exactly how the crash occurred until the accident report is complete, possibly by Thursday.
"I'm sure people are outraged that he didn't stop, and that the two people killed were good Samaritans only makes it more tragic, but the assumption that he was drunk at the time is not based on any facts," Mr. Prospere said.
Mr. Prospere said his client had not been drinking and said witnesses would corroborate that. Mr. Goodrich was seen at the Silver City Cabaret with at least one other man sometime after 12:15 a.m., club officials said.
Mr. Goodrich was a regular at the topless bar, which is in an office building just south of the Empire Central exit.
General manager Tommy Charalambopoulos - known in the business as Tommy C - said that "at no time did Mr. Goodrich appear other than normal."
More than 12 hours passed before Mr. Goodrich met with police. Given the rate of alcohol absorption over time, doctors at Parkland Memorial Hospital's emergency room said, it's unlikely that a blood-alcohol test under such circumstances would detect alcohol in a person's system.
Mr. Prospere said his client could easily have forced authorities to provide a witness and prove he was the one driving his vehicle when it crashed, "but he wanted no part of that."
"He wants to deal with it," Mr. Prospere said. "He knows what a microscope he's under right now for being a Dallas Cowboy, and he's facing it. This is his worst nightmare come true."
No public word
Mr. Goodrich did not comment Wednesday. He spent much of the day at home and talked for about an hour in the afternoon with the Rev. Kavin Brown of Bethlehem Christian Church in McKinney.
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Mr. Brown said he was there simply to pray.
"Prayer always works," said Mr. Brown, who was there at the request of a Goodrich family friend. "I had prayer with him today, and that's all I did. I didn't ask any questions. That way I wouldn't have any answers to give."
Danny Matthews, Demont Matthews' father, said he was relieved that the driver responsible had been arrested.
"I have nothing towards him," the elder Mr. Matthews said. "I've got nothing bad to say about him."
Jamey Bardwell, Mr. Wood's brother, said he would "pray for the soul" of Mr. Goodrich, though he's angry the police gave him what he believes to be preferential treatment.
"Professional athletes, they think they're above the law," Mr. Bardwell said of the time that lapsed between investigators' first contact with Mr. Goodrich and his arrest. "It just goes to show you."
Because of Mr. Prospere's schedule, initial plans were for Mr. Goodrich to turn himself in Wednesday morning.
But police asked early Tuesday evening that he turn himself in, be arraigned and post bail that night.
"He did not ask for, nor did he receive, any preferential treatment," Mr. Prospere said. "Police were decent about it. There's a difference between being courteous and giving deferential treatment. They had his statement, they had his car, and they had him arraigned."
Staff writers Kendall Anderson, Tim Wyatt, Jennifer Emily and Lori Price contributed to this report.
E-mail rtharp@dallasnews.com
| ACCIDENT CHRONOLOGY |
About 12:15 a.m. Tuesday: Dallas Cowboys player Dwayne Goodrich arrives at the Silver City Cabaret, a topless club on North Stemmons Freeway.
2 a.m.: Mr. Goodrich leaves the club at closing time.
2:15 a.m.: Police say Mr. Goodrich, driving his BMW, hits three people trying to rescue a motorist from a burning car on Interstate 35E between Walnut Hill and Royal lanes. The car had rear-ended a disabled tractor-trailer. The BMW does not stop. Two people are killed.
Between noon and 4 p.m.: Following a tip, Dallas police visit Mr. Goodrich's Coppell home and another location looking for him.
1 p.m.: Mr. Goodrich arrives at the office of his attorney, Reed Prospere.
2 p.m.: Mr. Prospere leaves a message for the police investigator working the hit-and-run case.
4 p.m.: Dallas police arrive at Mr. Prospere's office and obtain a voluntary statement from Mr. Goodrich. The Cowboys player also turns over the keys to his BMW, which was parked at his home.
5 p.m.: Police take a written statement from Mr. Goodrich.
10:30 p.m.: Mr. Goodrich surrenders to authorities at the central police substation.
11:20 p.m.: Mr. Goodrich arrives with police at the Lew Sterrett Justice Center, where he is charged with two counts of manslaughter.
2:15 a.m. Wednesday: Mr. Goodrich is released on a $50,000 bond and walks out the front entrance of the jail with a bail bondsman.
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Well, that's it, then. Let's move on.
Well, I for one think this calls for outlawing topless clubs, or at least registering them.
"This is a good kid who's embarrassed for himself, his family and the Cowboys organization that he panicked and didn't handle the matter in the way he probably should have."
No. A good kid has character that prohibits him from flying by a flaming car wreck at 110 mph, hitting "something" and not stopping to check what it was. One could easily speculate there was a compelling reason for him not to stop- because he'd have a DWI or DUI factored into the incident which likely would have elevated it beyond simple manslaughter.
Not to lessen the tragic death of the two brave Samaritans and the injury of the third person, but this is a perfect example of why the Cowboys are in the sorry state they are today.
It seem Jerry Jones has decided that other teams so OVER value character, that he can find undervalued players who drop in the draft because of character issues. The entire team has devolved into a rouges gallery of misfits, cretins and thugs. It's time for that organization to clean house and quit rewarding the bad element.
Owl_Eagle
”Guns Before Butter.”
Trust me, there's a new sheriff in town, and his name is Bill Parcells. The house cleaning has already begun. Goodrich was done anyway, he couldn't cover my grandmother.
Although as an Eagles fan, the Cowboys are my arch enemy, I really do hope Parcells turns that organization around. I genuinely miss the rivalry. The first time we smoked the shell the Cowboys became under Jerry Jones/ Dave Campo was fun, but after that, I don't think anyone enjoyed or looked forward to those games.
Here's hoping to a renewed rivalry!
FWIW- From one football fan to another, Parcells first move should have been to fire the O line coach. That was some of the worst OL play I've ever seen and really, that unit played far less worse than it should have with the players on hand.
Owl_Eagle
”Guns Before Butter.”
Once he learned that people had been injured? Let's see, you plow through an accident scene at over 100mph and hit three people and you have to "learn" through your lawyer the next day that people had been injured?
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