Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Stasko convicted: involuntary manslaughter

A jury convicted Tyler Stasko on Tuesday of three counts of involuntary manslaughter in connection with the April 2009 high-speed race along N.C. 49 that ended in the deaths of three people.

The jury in the case deliberated for more than three hours Monday and most of the day before reaching its verdicts. Stasko was sentenced to at least 3 years and nine months in prison – a minimum of 15 months and maximum 18 months for each death.

Stasko, 23, of Matthews, and Carlene Atkinson, 47, of Lake Wylie, are accused of racing at speeds of up to 100 mph when Stasko's Mitsubishi Eclipse smashed into a Mercedes that was entering the highway from the RiverPointe neighborhood near Lake Wylie.

Atkinson's black Chevrolet Camaro wasn't involved in the wreck, but she, too, is charged with three counts of second-degree murder. Her trial date has not been set.

Prosecutors had sought second-degree murder convictions, but Superior Court Judge James Morgan had ruled that jurors would be able to consider whether Stasko is guilty of second-degree murder, involuntary manslaughter or misdemeanor death by vehicle.

Second-degree murder is punishable by a prison term ranging from about eight years to more than 30 years. The maximum punishment for misdemeanor death by vehicle is 120 days' incarceration.

Jurors chose involuntary manslaughter.

During closing arguments Monday, Clayton Jones told jurors that Stasko had no regard for human life.

"He didn't even care about the passengers in his own car," the prosecutor said.

"They were racing to show off ... It doesn't have to be pre-arranged...It was just a pickup race. But, clearly, it was a race."

Stasko told jurors on Friday that he couldn't remember what happened when his Eclipse slammed into the Mercedes.

He told a police officer not long after the deadly crash that he was traveling between 70 mph and 85 mph. He recalled the Mercedes being stopped when he came over the hill but then it started pulling out into the intersection.

He said there was no way , he said, to maneuver around the Mercedes.

"The car was stopped and pulled out in front of me," he told the police officer. "I tried to hit the brakes."

Defense attorney Falls told the jurors Friday that Stasko is remorseful.

"You can tell he is deeply sorry for what happened," he said.

The defense attorney also argued that there is insufficient evidence to show that Stasko "did it in a malicious manner."



Read more: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2011/12/13/2848217/stasko-verdict-announced.html#ixzz1gSm4wekW

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