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Drag Racing
this hit close to home, if you want to Drag Race get on a race track or watch Nascar on TV, cuz it doesnt pay to kill someone by being STUPID! Two families now have to cope with what happens because of drag racing, one family deals with a daughter that is dead and the other family deals with a daughter that is severly burned. PLEASE DONT DRAG RACE, i live just over the state line in MS not far from Selmer TN where the guy who was drag racing lost control and hit the crowd, he killed 5 teens that day and two were sisters. THIS IS NOT THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS, and these guys are not Vin Deisel, leave the racing to Dale Jr, Jeff Gordon, and Tony Stewart. (feel free to comment)
Two convicted of drag racing, reckless homicide and other charges in teen's death
JONESBOROUGH, Tenn. — A Tennessee jury convicted two men of reckless homicide Tuesday for killing a 17-year-old homecoming queen during a drag race on a busy Johnson City street.
After deliberating for seven and a half hours, the panel chose not to convict Bradley Mullins, 19, and David Phillips, 39, of the more serious charge of second-degree murder for killing Cortney Hensley. If convicted on that charge, they could have faced up to 25 years in prison. (VIDEO)
The jury also convicted both men of vehicular homicide for killing Hensley and reckless aggravated assault for causing the severe burns that Hensley's best friend, Courtney Beard, suffered during the fiery crash.
Mullins and Phillips were also found guilty of reckless endangerment and drag racing. At their sentencing July 31, they could face up to 15 years in prison. Judge Robert Cupp could also sentence them to as little as probation.
Mullins and Phillips did not express any emotion as the verdict was read.
Hensley and Beard were driving home on the night of Sept. 24, 2005, after picking up their homecoming pictures when they stopped at a red light. Hensley, 17, had just been crowned homecoming queen at David Crockett High School.
Prosecutor Al Schmutzer said that roughly a half-mile down the road, Mullins, who was driving a black Mustang, and Phillips, who was driving a red Viper, were revving their engines while waiting for a traffic light to turn green so they could race.
When the light turned green, Phillips pulled back, but Mullins raced through the intersection and slammed into Beard's Honda CRV at a speed estimated at 130 mph, Schmutzer said.
The crash caused the Honda to burst into flames. Hensley was killed, and Beard suffered burns over 30 percent of her body.
Schmutzer said he was pleased that both Mullins and Phillips were convicted on the same charges, because he believed that Phillips was just as responsible as Mullins for the crash.
"This is very important because we had a situation [where] we felt very strongly that Phillips was the instigator and egged it on and set it in motion," Schmutzer said.
Schmutzer argued for a second-degree murder conviction for both Mullins and Phillips, saying during closing arguments that both men knew that by engaging in a race on a busy street, "their conduct was reasonably certain to cause death or serious bodily harm."
He said that although each defendant reacted differently after being spotted by police officers, both demonstrated they knew what they were doing was criminal.
"Both of them wanted to escape getting caught," Schmutzer told the jury. "[Phillips] chose to back off and Mullins chose to flee."
Phillips has consistently denied drag racing against Mullins the night of the fatal crash, but chose not to testify.
Phillips' attorney, Richard Pectol, said his client was "obviously disappointed" by the jury's verdict.
Pectol said he found it hard to believe that the jury apparently disregarded the fact that three police officers who witnessed the race never mentioned it in their reports, which were written hours after the crash.
But Pectol told him that Phillips "still has hope and his family has hope" that the convictions will be overturned on appeal.
Mullins' attorney, Don Spurrell, said that after the verdict was read, Mullins "just came and hugged me, crying."
I'm not sure he even knows what happened," Spurrell said. "I think the kid is very confused as to what's going to happen. He's still scared and probably hasn't slept well for two weeks."
During closing arguments, Spurrell said Mullins "has always accepted criminal responsibility for this act."
"Of course he didn't exercise judgment. He was reckless beyond belief," Spurrell said. "He's guilty of being reckless, but not of knowingly killing Hensley or injuring Beard."
Two convicted of drag racing, reckless homicide and other charges in teen's death
JONESBOROUGH, Tenn. — A Tennessee jury convicted two men of reckless homicide Tuesday for killing a 17-year-old homecoming queen during a drag race on a busy Johnson City street.
After deliberating for seven and a half hours, the panel chose not to convict Bradley Mullins, 19, and David Phillips, 39, of the more serious charge of second-degree murder for killing Cortney Hensley. If convicted on that charge, they could have faced up to 25 years in prison. (VIDEO)
The jury also convicted both men of vehicular homicide for killing Hensley and reckless aggravated assault for causing the severe burns that Hensley's best friend, Courtney Beard, suffered during the fiery crash.
Mullins and Phillips were also found guilty of reckless endangerment and drag racing. At their sentencing July 31, they could face up to 15 years in prison. Judge Robert Cupp could also sentence them to as little as probation.
Mullins and Phillips did not express any emotion as the verdict was read.
Hensley and Beard were driving home on the night of Sept. 24, 2005, after picking up their homecoming pictures when they stopped at a red light. Hensley, 17, had just been crowned homecoming queen at David Crockett High School.
Prosecutor Al Schmutzer said that roughly a half-mile down the road, Mullins, who was driving a black Mustang, and Phillips, who was driving a red Viper, were revving their engines while waiting for a traffic light to turn green so they could race.
When the light turned green, Phillips pulled back, but Mullins raced through the intersection and slammed into Beard's Honda CRV at a speed estimated at 130 mph, Schmutzer said.
The crash caused the Honda to burst into flames. Hensley was killed, and Beard suffered burns over 30 percent of her body.
Schmutzer said he was pleased that both Mullins and Phillips were convicted on the same charges, because he believed that Phillips was just as responsible as Mullins for the crash.
"This is very important because we had a situation [where] we felt very strongly that Phillips was the instigator and egged it on and set it in motion," Schmutzer said.
Schmutzer argued for a second-degree murder conviction for both Mullins and Phillips, saying during closing arguments that both men knew that by engaging in a race on a busy street, "their conduct was reasonably certain to cause death or serious bodily harm."
He said that although each defendant reacted differently after being spotted by police officers, both demonstrated they knew what they were doing was criminal.
"Both of them wanted to escape getting caught," Schmutzer told the jury. "[Phillips] chose to back off and Mullins chose to flee."
Phillips has consistently denied drag racing against Mullins the night of the fatal crash, but chose not to testify.
Phillips' attorney, Richard Pectol, said his client was "obviously disappointed" by the jury's verdict.
Pectol said he found it hard to believe that the jury apparently disregarded the fact that three police officers who witnessed the race never mentioned it in their reports, which were written hours after the crash.
But Pectol told him that Phillips "still has hope and his family has hope" that the convictions will be overturned on appeal.
Mullins' attorney, Don Spurrell, said that after the verdict was read, Mullins "just came and hugged me, crying."
I'm not sure he even knows what happened," Spurrell said. "I think the kid is very confused as to what's going to happen. He's still scared and probably hasn't slept well for two weeks."
During closing arguments, Spurrell said Mullins "has always accepted criminal responsibility for this act."
"Of course he didn't exercise judgment. He was reckless beyond belief," Spurrell said. "He's guilty of being reckless, but not of knowingly killing Hensley or injuring Beard."
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Engineco913 on
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This is an extremely sad story. Not sure where this ties into the EMS side of FireFighter Nation, but none the less a sad story
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Permalink Reply by Terry Lambert on
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This is a very sad story. It seems to be coming an every day occurance with teanager's though. In Northern VA, there has been a few deaths from drag racing. Teeanagers and fast cars do not mix.
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Permalink Reply by Spanner 122 on
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He hasn't slept well for two weeks, well pardon my lack of sympathy, but how does he think Courtney Beard has slept with burns over 30% of her body and knowing her friend is dead. Street racing has turned into an incredible problem and has killed too many people. It's too bad that it took the death of a beauty queen to finally have someone charged as they deserve to be charged. In Toronto a cab driver with a family was killed and the two rich kids were convicted and sentenced to house arrest. A couple driving home after their anniversary were killed, leaving a 7 year old an orphan, the driver was convicted of reckless driving. Another couple was killed in New Brunswick, again house arrest.
Maybe this case will finally teach these kids with no fear and no idea that it CAN AND WILL HAPPEN TO THEM that it's not worth it. Buy your expensive cars, refurb them, show them off, but stop killing people because you're idiots!
The latest case here was a couple of guys on motorbikes. They were racing towards a busy street, one bailed and made it onto the street unscathed, the other ran into the back of a car waiting at the red light. Her children were with their father (luckily), as he tore the back seat off the floor and laid wedged under it, a pile of jelly (literally). The car was written off, the driver suffered minor injuries (thankfully), another family is without their son, brother and another young man is left to live with it for the rest of his life (although hid his bike, tried to pretend he wasn't driving it and has yet to be charged... although I do believe the bike has since been seized under our new road racing laws... 50km over the speed limit, car is instantly impounded).
Someone has to tell these kids to STOP RACING AND STOP KILLING INNOCENT PEOPLE!!
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Permalink Reply by Ben on
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thanx Spanner, you made my case, its not just the people that are imjured in the crashes ITS THE FAMILY THAT SUFFERS AFTER! today is the 2 year aniversary, im pretty sure that Courtney Beard and Cortney Hensley's families are going thru a very rough time. over the weekend there was a drag racing ledgend that was seriously injured on the race track (of all places) DONT DRAG RACE!
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Permalink Reply by ERCVFD 842 C. Warren on
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I'm from East Tennessee and was in Johnson City the day this wreck happened, myself and a bunch of my friends had just finished and dinner and saw the fire trucks and ambulances heading to the scene and I remember wondering where they were going(my entire group was firefighters and emts). Later when we stopped for gas across town we found out that it was an MVA and this young lady had died and my friends and I just stood there speechless over this news and we decided to go my the fire dept and talk with our brother and sisters there to help them deal with it cuz all hope that someone else would do this for us in this situation.
One of the firemen had pictures of the cars and I can still to this day remember those pictures and still pray for her friends and family.
Stay safe out there. Chris MVFD1149
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Permalink Reply by Brian Dumser on
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I hope they get sentenced to the full 15 years, because those teens that were killed will never have the rest of their lives, and the ones who survived will be scarred for life! Actually, looking at it now, 15 years is like nothing for taking 5 lives with a single stupid act! Unfortunately, Hollywood glamourizes drag racing through movies like "The Fast & the Furious". Luckily we don't have a problem with this kind of thing in my area, but that could change any time. I may add drag racing to my list of subjects that I cover when talking to teens about fire safety & safety in general. Stay safe!
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