A Chattooga County man received a 40-year sentence, to serve 15 years in prison, after he pleaded guilty to a December 2007 wreck on Shorter Avenue that seriously injured one man and left another dead.

Everett Casey pleaded guilty to vehicular homicide, serious injury by vehicle, too fast for conditions and DUI charges on Monday.

Casey was re-arrested in Columbia, Mo., in January after failing to show up for a court appearance after posting $8,450 bail.

The Floyd County Sheriff’s Office received an anonymous tip that led to the location of Casey and coordinated efforts with Missouri law enforcement to have him arrested.

“We’d like to thank the Sheriff’s Department and the anonymous tipster to get him back to this jurisdiction to answer for the charges,” District Attorney Leigh Patterson said.

History of the case:

The car of then 43-year-old Winfred Diamond, of 415 E. 20th St., had broken down with its front end sticking out on Shorter Avenue while trying to leave the IGA grocery store parking lot in the evening.

Clarence Singleton, who received a painful shoulder injury in the accident, had gone to help Diamond push the vehicle out of traffic when a truck driven by Casey, police reported, struck the car.

According to Rome Police reports, Casey had an alcohol level of .216 and refused to take blood/urine tests.

Diamond was outside the car when he was struck by the truck and was later pronounced dead at Floyd Medical Center. Singleton was treated and released from the hospital.

Casey was fined $2,000 and was also ordered to pay the medical bills of any future corrective surgeries Singleton will have to go through for the repair of his shoulder.

Rome News Tribune