Monday, July 14, 2014
Risner Enters Guilty Plea In Texting While Driving/Vehicular Homicide Case
A Lawrenceburg woman who had been indicted on vehicular homicide charges in connection with the March 2013 deaths of two local residents, opted to enter guilty pleas to lesser charges on Monday.
Trial had been set to begin Tuesday for Misti Lynn Risner, age 37. Risner was involved in an automobile crash that occurred on March 17, 2013 that claimed the lives of Lawrenceburg residents Clyde Ray Newton, 66, and wife Willodean Carmie Newton, age 62.
At the time of the crash Troopers with the Tennessee Highway Patrol reported that the couple was eastbound along West Gaines Street on a motorcycle in the vicinity of David Crockett State Park when they came to a stop behind some other vehicles.
Risner, who was eastbound behind the Newtons, failed to stop, striking the rear of the motorcycle. She then reportedly veered into the westbound lane where she struck another vehicle head-on. Both Newtons died as the result of injuries they sustained in the crash.
In July of 2013 Risner was indicted by a Lawrence County Grand Jury on two counts of reckless endangerment and two counts of vehicular homicide.
During a court appearance last week prosecutors said that the time stamp on Risner’s cell phone showed that she had posted a message to Facebook while driving, only few minutes prior to the impact.
They said that following the crash Risner’s phone, which was found in the driver’s side floorboard, showed an unfinished message that she had been in the process of typing.
They also said that the crash reconstruction showed that Risner had not hit her brakes until after she collided with the motorcycle. They said that these facts demonstrated that her attention had been diverted long enough to cause the crash.
Risner appeared in Lawrence Circuit Court Monday where she waived her right to a trial by jury and entered best interest guilty pleas to two counts of criminally negligent homicide and one count of reckless endangerment.
A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for Thursday, August 21, 2014.
