Regional News
Attorneys rest in vehicle homicide trial
Published Thursday, March 11, 2010 at 07:53 PM
A Dawson county jury is expected to hear closing arguments Friday in a trial for a man accused in a car-pedestrian crash in Oct. 2007 that killed a rural Arapahoe woman. The defense rested late Thursday after the defendant, Herchel Huff, testified in his own behalf. Huff said he had four drinks the afternoon before he left Oxford and headed west toward Holbrook. Huff's testimony did not agree with testimony earlier in the trial that he may have had nearly a dozen drinks. Ryan Markwardt who was with him in the bar that afternoon testified Huff drank several beers and had two Jagermeister-Red bull cocktails while the two were visiting bars in Oxford. Huff also testified that he asked former Furnas County Deputy Sheriff Vernon Levisay to allow him to take a breathalyzer test instead of having a blood draw because of his fear of needles. On rebuttal, Levisay was called back to the stand and said Huff did not ask him for the breathalyzer test over the blood test. Huff also denied telling Markwardt that he had to take the blame for the crash by telling law enforcement that he was the driver. Huff admitted he was driving too fast that day for the conditions and said he accepted full responsibility for the death of Kasey Jo Warner and that's why he pleaded guilty to manslaughter. Huff said he was driving fast because the weather was nice and he was upset over arguing on the phone with his wife. He also testified that he called 9-1-1 twice after the accident. Huff is accused of being intoxicated the day his vehicle struck Warner southwest of Arapahoe. He is charged with motor vehicle homicide, tampering with a witness and refusal to submit to a chemical test. The state rested earlier in the afternoon after calling the husband of the deceased, Dan Warner to the stand. Warner lost his composure when talking about the last time he saw his wife alive. Warner said his wife wanted to watch the UNL vs. KSU volleyball game that was going to be on that night, but she decided to go for a run instead with her 3 year old daughter Gentry beside her on a small 4-wheeler. Final instructions and closing arguments are scheduled for Friday morning before the case goes to the jury.
© 2008 The Nebraska Rural Radio Association. All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
