A Given man has been charged in connection to a vehicular chase on Parchment Valley Road last August which left two Jackson County teenagers dead.
Kurtis Allen Barnette, 22, of Given was charged with one felony count of accident involving death for his alleged role in the incident.
According to the complaint filed in Magistrate Court by Jackson County Sheriff’s Lieutenant C.C. Metz in the early morning hours of August 21, 2008, Barnette was driving a 1996 Dodge Ram pickup which he was using to give chase to a 2006 Chevy Cobalt containing Richard Ryan Smith, 18, of Cottageville and Robert Keith Sayre, 19, of Ripley.
According to the complaint, “While Barnett was chasing Smith and Sayre, Smith lost control of his vehicle causing it to run off the left roadway edge, travel over an embankment and roll several times in a field. During the crash, both Smith and Sayre were ejected from the vehicle and were killed. After the crash, Barnett did not stop and render aid at the crash scene.”
According to Metz, Barnett had chased Smith on a previous occasion in an attempt to fight with him due to problems stemming from Smith’s relationship with Barnett’s sister.
In an interview last September regarding the crash, Barnett allegedly told Metz that he had chased Smith that evening, but gave up the chase prior to the crash, which he denied seeing.
In November, Metz interviewed two individuals who were passengers in the Barnett’s truck that evening. According to the complaint, the two told Metz that Barnett was still chasing Smith when the crash occurred. They said they witnessed Smith’s car run off the road and begin rolling.
After the crash, the two said that Barnett turned onto Foster Ridge Road and did not immediately stop to return to the crash scene.
According to 17C-4-1 of the West Virginia State Code, “the driver of any vehicle involved in an accident resulting in injury to or death of any person shall immediately stop the vehicle at the scene of the accident or as close thereto as possible, but shall forthwith return to and shall remain at the scene of the accident” until they have completed their duty to provide information and render aid.
Due to his alleged failure to render aid, Barnett was arrested and charged with one felony count of accident involving death.
He was arraigned before Magistrate Jackie Casto and placed on $25,000 bond.
A preliminary hearing has been set in the case in Magistrate Court for Monday, March 16, at 11 a.m.
