Maryland man indicted in negligent manslaughter in crash that killed Hagerstown couple
A Washington County man has been indicted on two counts of negligent vehicular manslaughter in the September deaths of a couple riding a moped when it was struck by a pickup truck in the Hagerstown area.
Joseph Donald Guessford III, 44, who lives east of Clear Spring, was indicted in late April related to the crash that occurred the night of Sept. 7, a Thursday, according to court records.
Maryland State Police responding to the U.S. 40 crash on the west side of Hagerstown found the moped driver and passenger dead at the scene. The married Hagerstown couple was identified as Dystanei Nickole Cain, 20, and Evan Alexander Cain, 18.
A Washington County grand jury indicted Guessford on April 24 on nine charges related to the crash, according to court records.
Guessford was served with the arrest warrant on May 15, according to his case docket. He was released from custody that day on a $10,000 bond.
According to a motion filed Friday by a prosecutor to have bond reconsidered, Guessford was convicted for DUI in Pennsylvania in recent years.
Taking the previous DUI conviction into account, Guessford is facing up to 15 years and/or a $10,000 fine on each of the negligent vehicular manslaughter charges, according to Assistant State's Attorney Cyrus Jaghoory. Jaghoory filed the motion for bond reconsideration.
Guessford has a trial scheduled for September.
Recycling the unrecyclable: Hagerstown's Holcim plant turns industrial materials into fuel
What we know about the fatal collision
State police were notified around 9:14 p.m. on Sept. 7 of a collision on westbound U.S. 40, west of Garland Groh Boulevard.
The Friday court filing asking for another bond review hearing notes that the crash occurred around 8:30 p.m.
According to a preliminary investigation by state police, the moped was hit by a maroon 2000 Ford pickup, which left the scene of the crash, according to a Herald-Mail report. The initial news release from state police alleges the pickup driver was impaired.
Guessford allegedly struck both victims, who both ended up on the hood of Guessford's vehicle as he continued to drive away, according to the court filing.
At least one of the victims was struck by at least one other vehicle, according to the court filing.
The moped was dragged under the pickup truck for about 1.5 miles, causing the moped to catch fire, according to the bond review request. Guessford allegedly tried to put the fire out with a blanket before leaving the moped and the victims. His license plate was found near the crash scene.
Guessford allegedly told officers and his girlfriend, "while on speakerphone where he was and that he thinks he 'probably killed someone,'" according to the court filing.
Guessford did not pass field sobriety tests and his blood draw tested positive for cocaine and fentanyl, according to court records. A deputy who is a drug recognition expert noted Guessford had a white powder substance on one of his nostrils, which Guessford said was drywall.
Among the charges Guessford faces through the indictment are driving while impaired by a controlled dangerous substance, two counts of failure of driver involved in accident to render reasonable assistance to injured person and two counts of failure to immediately return and remain at the scene of an accident that resulted in death, according to the indictment and case docket.
This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail: Western Maryland man indicted in crash that killed couple on moped
