By Gary Lloyd
TRUSSVILLE — The Jefferson County Circuit Court trial of The Basement security director Vince Lovell has been continued to Nov. 17, his attorney Brian Ritchey said last week.
Ritchey said the trial was supposed to be last Monday at 9 a.m. in Judge David Lichtenstein’s courtroom.
In Trussville Municipal Court in March, Lovell was found guilty of two misdemeanors in connection with leaving the scene of an October 2013 accident in Trussville. Lovell was ordered to pay fines and court costs. The Jefferson County trial comes as the result of an appeal.
According to a witness statement, Lovell allegedly was driving southbound and was over the center line on Chalkville Road in front of The Mall when the white Chevrolet Tahoe he was driving, emblazoned with “#FreePitt” logos, sideswiped a Metro moving truck.
Trussville Police Department Lt. Jeff Bridges said last year that the moving truck pulled over, according to the witness’ statement. According to Lovell’s statement, Bridges said, Lovell drove down The Mall area, onto Parkway Drive and waited at the Trussville Public Library. No one showed up at the library, according to Lovell’s statement. Lovell did not call police, Bridges said. Lovell drove home and called his insurance company, according to his statement, Bridges said.
Lovell said he was southbound on Chalkville Road in front of The Mall area at the time of the accident.
“Out of nowhere, I heard a big bang,” Lovell said in October. “My mirror whipped around and hit my driver’s window and shattered my window. When it did, I looked up in my rear view mirror and I saw the vehicle was continuing in the opposite direction and it didn’t stop.”
Lovell said he took the next left next to The Mall and still didn’t see the vehicle. He then proceeded to the library where he saw a police officer leaving and tried to get his attention to no avail.
“When I didn’t see the vehicle any longer and I didn’t see any other options, I drove home, which is like a mile away,” Lovell said. “I didn’t have my cell phone with me. So, I came home to get my cell phone- I was literally there five seconds- and my wife said, ‘I think there’s somebody outside.’ I go outside and the Trussville police are in my driveway.”
The driver of the truck said Lovell was two feet over the center line.
Lovell said he intended to get a police report for his insurance company and didn’t think there were any injuries in the accident.
Bridges said the driver of the moving truck filed two complaints against Lovell. Lovell was charged under the Section 32-10-2 and Section 32-10-1. Section 32-10-2 says that the “driver of any motor vehicle involved in an accident resulting in injury to or the death of any person or damage to any vehicle which is driven or attended by any person shall give his name, address and the registration number of the vehicle he is driving, shall upon request exhibit his driver’s license to the person struck or the driver or occupant of or person attending any motor or other vehicle collided with or damaged and shall render to any person injured in such accident reasonable assistance, including the transportation of, or the making of arrangements for the transportation of such person to a physician or hospital for medical or surgical treatment, if it is apparent that such treatment is necessary or if such transportation is requested by the injured person.
Section 32-10-1 states that the “driver of any motor vehicle involved in an accident resulting in injury to or the death of any person, or in damage to a motor vehicle or other vehicle which is driven or attended by any person, shall immediately stop such vehicle at the scene of such accident or as close thereto as possible and shall then forthwith return to and in every event shall remain at the scene of the accident until he or she has fulfilled the requirements of Section 32-10-3. Every such stop shall be made without obstructing traffic more than is necessary.”
Contact Gary Lloyd at news@trussvilletribune.com and follow him on Twitter @GaryALloyd.