Trial begins Monday for man charged in fatal wreck
May 15—The trial of a man accused of killing one person and injuring a teenager after getting behind the wheel drunk is set to begin Monday, records show.
Scotty Dale Moss told officers he drank a pint of Fireball cinnamon whisky before going for a drive Oct. 2, 2018, according to a crash report from the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. He was less than half a mile from his residence in Limestone County when he crossed the center line and collided head-on with another vehicle.
In an incident narrative, Alabama State Troopers said Moss admitted he was distracted and had looked away from the road prior to the collision. Troopers estimated he was traveling around 60 mph at the time, in a GMC Envoy registered to a woman in Montana.
An adult male passenger in the Envoy was not injured, but those in the other vehicle, a Chevrolet El Camino, weren't so lucky. Lloyd Jason Crawford Reed, 37, was killed, and his teenage daughter, who was riding in the passenger seat, had to be flown to Huntsville Hospital via MedFlight.
According to Reed's family, Reed and his daughter were on their way to Lowe's in Athens to pick up supplies for a bathroom remodel he was working on. The family told The News Courier in April 2019 that they believed Reed realized the accident was about to happen and steered the car so he would receive most of the impact, not her.
The wreck occurred around 8:40 p.m. on Zehner Road, near Quinn Road. Records show Moss had been out on bond and awaiting trial on a charge of chemical endangerment of a minor, and troopers noted in their report that Moss had been driving on a suspended license.
From the wreck, Moss faces a four-count indictment — one count each of reckless murder, first-degree assault (DUI), DUI (alcohol) and reckless manslaughter.
Photo evidence
A hearing was held earlier this week to determine whether photos of the 1984 Chevrolet El Camino that Reed had been driving could be used in the trial. Moss' defense attorneys argued in their motion in limine that the photos were taken after the vehicle's roof and doors were cut away by first responders and using them in the trial would "give the impression that the wreck caused far more damage than it actually did."
However, Limestone County Assistant District Attorney Bill Lisenby Jr. said in response to the motion that the photos will show the vehicle was damaged to such an extent that first responders had no option but to cut away pieces of the vehicle so they could access Reed.
Limestone County Circuit Court Judge Robert Baker sided with the prosecution, denying the defense's motion in limine after a hearing Tuesday.
