A Bradenton man who drove his pickup truck right into a Cortez hunter after an altercation has been discovered responsible of expenses associated to the hit-and-run, the state’s legal professional introduced Friday.
David Lynn Nichols, 60, bought into an argument with fisherman Freddie Gilliland on Nov. 18, 2019, close to the 4500 block of West 101 Road, on the street to Cortez Fishing Village, earlier than he… He plows into it together with his Chevrolet pickup truck, in accordance with a report from the Manatee County Sheriff’s Workplace.
The state’s legal professional’s workplace mentioned Nichols “deliberately struck the sufferer” together with his truck whereas Gilliland was strolling on the street within the space of West 101 Road and West 46 Road after their argument.
Close by residents mentioned they heard “squealing tires and a crash” as Nichols drove his Chevrolet pickup truck into Gilliland, in accordance with the Manatee County Sheriff’s Workplace.
One witness advised deputies that she tried to defuse the state of affairs between the 2 males. In line with the arrest report, she advised investigators that Nichols watched Gilliland stroll down the street for about two minutes earlier than he accelerated his truck down the road and hit Gilliland.
Gilliland was pinned beneath Nichols’ truck and dragged roughly 300 ft down the street, in accordance with the discharge. After hitting him, Nichols left Gilliland mendacity within the street and fled the scene with out reporting the accident, investigators mentioned.
Crash report particulars accidents
Deputies discovered Nichols’ truck close to the Sunny Shores cellular dwelling park hours later and arrested him at about 3:30 a.m., in accordance with an affidavit of possible trigger.
The State’s Legal professional’s Workplace mentioned Gilliland suffered life-threatening accidents because of the assault, shedding his proper arm, lack of a spleen, a number of damaged bones, a punctured lung, in addition to large quantities of tissue harm and bodily trauma all through. His physique.
A trial for Nichols was held in Manatee County District Court docket from Tuesday to Thursday, the place a jury discovered him responsible of felony battery with a weapon and leaving the scene of an accident with critical bodily harm.
Nichols faces a doable most sentence of 30 years, the state’s legal professional’s workplace mentioned. The sentencing listening to is scheduled for Friday, October 13.
“We’re happy with the jury’s verdict on this case and hope this brings some sense of justice and closure to Mr. Gilliland, whose life was ceaselessly modified by the accidents the defendant inflicted on him that evening,” mentioned the prosecutors within the case, Assistant State Attorneys Arthur Brown and Garrett. “We thank the women and men of the Manatee County Sheriff’s Workplace for his or her laborious work on this case,” Franzen mentioned in a written assertion Friday.
“Pure Cortez”
Gilliland, 64, is well-known within the Cortez fishing village neighborhood and is described as a jokester and spirit, the Bradenton Herald beforehand reported.
Bob Slicker, former longtime normal supervisor of Swordfish Grill and Tiki Bar and proprietor of Slicker’s Eatery, beforehand advised the Bradenton Herald that Gilliland is about fishing and neighborhood, two pillars of the native fishing village tradition.
“It is simply pure Cortez,” Slicker mentioned.
Shortly after the incident, residents collected greater than $6,000 Support Gilliland’s medical bills In a GoFundMe fundraiser. Donors described Gilliland as a “great good friend” with a “reward for making folks giggle.”