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Last updated on Saturday, July 7, 2012
(BLOOMFIELD) - Multiple felony criminal charges have been filed against two Sullivan County men in connection with a hit-and-run crash last month.
Nick Schneider, of the Greene County Daily World reports, the mishap injured five pedestrians who were fishing off of a bridge in Greene-Sullivan State Forest during the early morning hours of June 26.
Russell L. Goodman, Sr., 46, and his son, Russell L. Goodman, Jr., both face charges filed in Greene Superior Court.
Both live at 7834 S. Pleasant Main Street in Pleasantville.
Russell Goodman, Sr., faces preliminary charges of four counts of failure to stop and remain at the scene of an accident resulting in injury - all class D felonies; and one count of obstruction of justice - a class D felony.
He was arrested Tuesday and bonded out the same day after posting $2,000 cash bond on a $20,000 appearance bond.
An initial hearing is slated for 1 p.m. on Monday in Greene Superior Court to formally charge him.
Preliminary charges of obstruction of justice - a class D felony; and false informing - a class A misdemeanor - were filed Thursday morning against Russell L. Goodman, Jr. after Superior Court Judge Dena Martin approved a probable cause affidavit. Russell Goodman, Jr. has not been arrested.
Russell Goodman Sr. is accused of being the driver of a 2002 GMC pickup with a camper top that struck 11-year-old Justice Hammond; 10-year-old Danielle Hammond; 8-year-old Blake Hammond - all of Linton, and Michael Delp, the fiancé to Jessica Giles, who was walking with the group but escaped injury.
The children's mother and Delp's sister, Veronica Hammond, also was narrowly missed by the speeding truck that allegedly failed to stop after the mishap.
The three children have been released from the hospital along with Delp. All are home, but face a long road to recovery, according Mark Hammond, the father to the trio of children.
The collision took place between the truck and four individuals on a bridge located on County Road 1400W about 340 feet north of County Road 100S in Greene County shortly after midnight on June 26.
The four had been fishing from the bridge, according to a probable cause affidavit filed by Greene County Sheriff's Department Deputy Heath Murray.
Veronica Hammond told police that the truck was traveling south on County Road 1400W and hit her three children along with Delp and continued on into a ditch on the westside of CR 1400W.
"Mrs. Hammond yelled for the truck to stop and help, however, the truck continued by backing over one of her children again in an attempt to get out of the ditch. When it could not, it continued southbound in the ditch and finally came out further south on CR 1400W," Murray wrote in the affidavit.
Veronica Hammond was also nearly hit.
She told police that when she saw the truck approaching, she turned on a flashlight - hoping the driver might see it. Instead, just prior to hitting the children and Delp, the truck struck the flashlight, knocking it from her hand.
Later that morning, police were able to locate the truck at Goodman's residence after following gouge marks in the pavement from the point near the crash site. The truck had a broken grill, damage to the left corner of the hood and its front headlight and marker light were missing along with a tire and wheel well. The passenger door was damaged and would not open, and wire was placed around the front-end suspension, according to the probable cause affidavit.
DNA blood samples were obtained from the exterior and interior of the truck.
There was evidence in a wooded area near the garage where the truck was found that attempts had been made to drive the truck into the woods.
According to court records, the senior Goodman had been to the Sportsman's Pub and Bottom's Up bar in Linton earlier in the evening.
Carolyn Miller contacted the Greene County Sheriff's Department and told authorities that she was with Russell Goodman, Sr. during the early morning hours when the accident took place.
She told police that after leaving the Bottom's Up with Goodman, Sr. and RC Dobbs, she fell asleep.
"She remembers being on a gravel road going to Rusty's (Goodman, Sr.) residence when she heard a crash and felt the impact that was hard enough to cause her to lose her cell phone and cause the contents of her purse to spill in the (truck) cab," Murray wrote in the probable cause affidavit.
According to the affidavit, Russell Goodman, Jr. allegedly told Joshua Marlow to hide the truck in the woods, which he did. Marlow was later told to move the truck behind the garage.
Russell Goodman, Jr. is also alleged to have told Marlow to pour water one the roadway to wash away evidence of any marks that many have been caused by driving the truck to the residence, according to the affidavit.
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