Regional News
Motor vehicle homicide trial in Lex.
Published Wednesday, March 10, 2010 at 08:11 PM
Herchel Huff holds up a notebook to shield himself while stepping out of an elevator on the way to court (photo courtesy of Connie Discoe, McCook Gazette)
A jury trial in Dawson County District Court for a man involved in an Oct. 3, 2007 crash that killed an Arapahoe woman continued Wednesday. Herchel Huff is charged with motor vehicle homicide, tampering with a witness and refusing to take a chemical test. Prosecutors called nine witnesses to testify including an accident reconstructionist. Brian Buxbaum with the Nebraska State Patrol explained his investigation of the accident site on Road 721 southwest of Arapahoe using photographs of the scene and studying skid marks. Buxbaum showed the jury through photographs and his reconstruction drawing that the vehicle driven by Huff struck Kasey Jo Warner on the driver's side based on a dent on the left front fender and damage to the driver's side door. Buxbaum says Warner was sucked under the driver's side door area and the car rolled over her with her body ejected from behind. Warner's body ended up near the north edge of road 721 with the car coming to rest in the north ditch. Buxbaum testified that based on his calculations, Huff's car was traveling 72 to 84 mph at the beginning of the car's skid toward Warner. The jury was also shown a graphic picture of the deceased woman's body and pictures depicting blood and tissue evidence under the car as well as blood marks on grass. Buxbaum is expected to resume his testimony when the trial continues Thursday. Furnas County Sheriff Kurt Kapperman was also called to the stand. Kapperman testified that it was still light when he arrived at the scene of the crash at 7:45 p.m. He said that he asked the dispatcher to call in an accident reconstructionist and he ordered an autopsy. Kapperman testified that the victim had substantial injuries to her entire body.
© 2008 The Nebraska Rural Radio Association. All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
