Officer is charged in road fatality

A Dakota County deputy-in-training is accused of careless driving in a crash that killed a Farmington motorcyclist.

February 2, 2008 at 5:17AM

A Dakota County deputy-in-training was charged Friday with careless driving for cutting across traffic lanes in front of a motorcyclist, who ran into the squad car and died later that night.

The single misdemeanor charge was filed against Deputy Joshua J. Williams, 29, in Dakota County District Court.

The crash killed Bill Wallace, 58, who was riding his Harley-Davidson from his house to his sister's house, both in Farmington, to watch a Vikings game in August.

Williams was driving south on Hwy. 3 approaching 200th Street with his training officer to respond to a house lockout call in Empire Township about 7:20 p.m. on Aug. 30.

No alcohol or drugs were involved and the training officer was cleared of any crime, said Hennepin County prosecutor Paul Scoggin. He is handling the case so Dakota authorities can avoid a potential conflict of interest. Williams was driving without lights or siren to a non emergency call, Scoggin said.

Williams "is held to the same rules of the road as any other driver," Scoggin said. "You don't get a pass for turning left from the right, bypass lane, and you are not held to a higher standard, either."

The complaint says a State Patrol investigator interviewed the training deputy who said they were having trouble finding the address of the lockout.

The squad had made a U-turn to head south on Hwy. 3. The single lane split into two lanes. Williams stayed in the right lane. He then realized that the lockout address required turning left at the upcoming 200th Street.

He made a sharp left turn and was hit by the cycle behind him in the right lane. A woman driving behind the cycle said she saw the squad car make a sharp turn from the right lane with no turn signal.

Scoggin said a felony charge of criminal vehicular homicide was considered, but it requires proving gross negligence, which usually involves drugs or alcohol use or outrageous conduct.

Williams, a deputy since February 2005, has returned to work as a court bailiff until the criminal case is resolved.

Jim Adams • 612-673-7658

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about the writer

Tim Harlow

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Tim Harlow covers traffic and transportation issues in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, and likes to get out of the office, even during rush hour. He also covers the suburbs in northern Hennepin and all of Anoka counties, plus breaking news and weather.

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