Hit-and-run driver kills 19yo cyclist Tommy Ketterhagen, 1/23/17

MichaelBluejay · 2017-01-25 17:25:31

19-year-old Thomas "Tommy" Ketterhagen was last seen riding his bicycle in east Georgetown about 5pm Monday. His mother found his body Tuesday morning. From the pictures, it looks like there was a nice, wide paved shoulder. I wonder whether the driver was drunk, texting, inattentive, or actually just aimed for the cyclist.

http://kxan.com/2017/01/24/19-year-old- … t-and-run/

dougmc · 2017-01-27 15:08:08

Looks like they've found the guy.

http://kxan.com/2017/01/27/developments … t-and-run/

Sounds like he "turned himself in" after the police had already found him and his truck? That's not normally how one "turns themselves in".

The witness's account is also highly concerning. It sounds like it'll do away with the "I thought I hit a deer!" claim, but it also sounds like the witness knew a guy had just been hit and didn't investigate or didn't call for help?

There's a memorial ride Sunday for the victim.

owlman · 2017-03-30 09:30:10

Wilco has a pretty good criminal court docket website (better than Travis's). You can follow the case updates here http://judicialrecords.wilco.org/CaseDe … ID=1740408

The charge is:

ACCIDENT INVOLVING DEATH 550.021(c)(1)(A) 2nd Degree Felony

MichaelBluejay · 2017-03-30 23:32:42

Deep links to that site don't work, but you can search "Criminal Cases" for "Aaron Davison".

He's got six charges there total:

(1) Possession of Marijuana (Disposed)
(2) Theft of Property <$500 (Disposed)
(3) Theft (Dismissed)
(4) Speeding ≥10% over limit (Fine)
(5) Speeding (Fine)
(6) Accident Involving Death (Felony filed)

owlman · 2017-11-15 01:15:19

I was curious what's new on this case. Turns out not much... it's still going through the early pretrial stages.

The charge is up to three felonies:

1.  	ACCIDENT INVOLVING DEATH		550.021(c)(1)(A)	2nd Degree Felony	01/23/2017
2.  	AGG ASSAULT W/DEADLY WEAPON		22.02(a)(2) PC		2nd Degree Felony	01/23/2017
3.  	MANSLAUGHTER				19.04 PC		2nd Degree Felony	01/23/2017

Article about the rider's father pushing for Georgetown to adopt a bicycle safety plan: http://kxan.com/2017/06/27/father-of-bi … y-council/

owlman · 2018-01-26 10:57:54

Davison pleaded guilty for 2 years in prison + 10 years probation, for "manslaughter and accident involving death". (I guess the agg assault with a deadly weapon charge was dropped)

http://kxan.com/2018/01/25/cyclist-hit- … slaughter/

MichaelBluejay · 2018-01-26 23:52:26

Thanks as usual for looking up and sharing the updates, owlman.

As always in cases of driver-at-fault fatalities, I'm more interested in the driver losing his/her driver's license for life than how many years of prison they get (or don't get).

But as far as prison goes, what does everyone else think? How much time in prison is appropriate in this case?

owlman · 2018-01-27 11:52:58

2 years prison is a no short stay in county jail; it's significant. But...

Davison had a passenger in the truck. It strains belief that neither one of them knew they hit a person. The damage to his truck was significant enough to see from a police helicopter.
A witness said he saw the truck swerve across the road and hit a bicycle. The witness said both Davison and his passenger got out of the truck and looked in the ditch, then got back in and drove away. (this was a bizarre thing too, why didn't the witness call in that crash at the time?)
Tommy wasn't found until the next morning; perhaps he would have survived if Davison or his passenger had called police or EMS immediately.

Obviously I wasn't in the courtroom so I can only base this off what was reported in the news. From that limited info 2 years seems light to me.

MichaelBluejay · 2018-01-27 18:27:14

Wow, these are disturbing details.

You'll note I wondered in my first post (without having read of the witness account) whether the driver had intentionally hit the Ketterhagen. That's one reason that I oppose the media (and police) calling collisions "accidents" before they know whether they're truly accidental!

owlman · 2018-03-27 08:59:39

No prison after all--Davison was released for time served in county jail (404 days)

http://www.kxan.com/news/local/williams … 1080101646

MichaelBluejay · 2018-03-27 09:19:50

Thanks as usual, oilman.

Salient points from the article:

KXAN wrote:

"I can tell you in the 11 years I was a defense lawyer, that never happened for any of my clients," explains Dick [the D.A.].
“If I would’ve known this, I never would’ve made the offer I made," said Dick. "I would’ve insisted we get a deadly weapon finding, which would’ve ensured he stayed there two full years.”
He received 10 years probation on the other count of accident involving death. His attorney says that means if Davison gets a traffic ticket, he goes to jail. The judge also required Davison to take a driver safety course every year and he must write an apology letter to the Ketterhagen family.

The sentence would have been understandable had it not been hit-and-run, but the sentence seems light for a hit-and-run crime. And *especially* lenient if the driver hit the cyclist intentionally.

And instead of probation, I'd prefer that they simply revoked his driver's license for at least that amount of time.

MichaelBluejay · 2018-03-27 09:29:01

Killer's lawyer on the sentence:

“I’m glad he’s out,” said Turner. “He’s done enough time.”

https://www.statesman.com/news/local/at … tKNtX9SIM/

dougmc · 2019-04-19 14:04:33

Tommy Ketterhagen's killer violates conditions of his probation:

https://www.flobikes.com/articles/64491 … agen-death

https://www.flobikes.com/articles/63584 … r-sentence

https://cbsaustin.com/news/local/friend … k-in-court

He managed to escape the small amount of prision time he was sentenced to through a legal loophole, but he ended up back in jail for violating the terms of his probation (in quite a few ways, it would seem -- he didn't just make a single mistake or something) and he was just sentenced to ten years in prison.

Bicycle Austin forum

#1 2017-01-25 17:25:31

Hit-and-run driver kills 19yo cyclist Tommy Ketterhagen, 1/23/17

#2 2017-01-27 15:08:08

Re: Hit-and-run driver kills 19yo cyclist Tommy Ketterhagen, 1/23/17

#3 2017-03-30 09:30:10

Re: Hit-and-run driver kills 19yo cyclist Tommy Ketterhagen, 1/23/17

#4 2017-03-30 23:32:42

Re: Hit-and-run driver kills 19yo cyclist Tommy Ketterhagen, 1/23/17

#5 2017-11-15 01:15:19

Re: Hit-and-run driver kills 19yo cyclist Tommy Ketterhagen, 1/23/17

#6 2018-01-26 10:57:54

Re: Hit-and-run driver kills 19yo cyclist Tommy Ketterhagen, 1/23/17

#7 2018-01-26 23:52:26

Re: Hit-and-run driver kills 19yo cyclist Tommy Ketterhagen, 1/23/17

#8 2018-01-27 11:52:58

Re: Hit-and-run driver kills 19yo cyclist Tommy Ketterhagen, 1/23/17

#9 2018-01-27 18:27:14

Re: Hit-and-run driver kills 19yo cyclist Tommy Ketterhagen, 1/23/17

#10 2018-03-27 08:59:39

Re: Hit-and-run driver kills 19yo cyclist Tommy Ketterhagen, 1/23/17

#11 2018-03-27 09:19:50

Re: Hit-and-run driver kills 19yo cyclist Tommy Ketterhagen, 1/23/17

#12 2018-03-27 09:29:01

Re: Hit-and-run driver kills 19yo cyclist Tommy Ketterhagen, 1/23/17

#13 2019-04-19 14:04:33

Re: Hit-and-run driver kills 19yo cyclist Tommy Ketterhagen, 1/23/17

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