VIRGINIA BEACH — A driver in a crash that killed a man on Lynnhaven Parkway in August has been charged with involuntary manslaughter.
Alfred Thomas Jr. was charged with reckless driving on Aug. 17, hours after he was involved in a crash that killed a man named Jordan McNair. On Friday, the Virginia Beach Commonwealth’s Attorney’s office alerted the media that the charge was increased to involuntary manslaughter on Oct. 12 as a result of the investigation.
Involuntary manslaughter is a felony charge defined by the law as “a homicide; the unlawful killing of a human being through recklessness or negligence, but without malice or intent.”
The crash happened shortly before 7 a.m. at the intersection of Lynnhaven Parkway and Gravenhurst Drive. Thomas was traveling north on Lynnhaven Parkway in a 2015 Hyundai Sonata when he allegedly crashed into McNair, who was turning left onto the same road, according to court documents filed in Virginia Beach Circuit Court.
Police reported that after the crash with McNair, Thomas hit another car that was about to turn left onto Gravenhurst Drive. That driver wasn’t injured.
When police arrived, Thomas was still in his car and seemed “dazed and confused.” McNair was pronounced dead at the scene by emergency medical workers, according to court documents.
Preliminary investigation by the Virginia Beach Police Department showed that Thomas may have been driving 30 miles above the speed limit when the crash happened, court documents state.
An eyewitness, who spoke to the VBPD, described Thomas’ car “blowing past” him on Lynnhaven Parkway. The eyewitness told police he was traveling about 50 mph when Thomas passed him and estimated that Thomas was driving between 65 and 70 mph in a 45 mph speed limit zone, court documents state.
Investigation showed that there was likely no “pre-impact” braking from any of the cars involved in the crash. Documents state that Thomas’ speedometer needle was stopped between 75 and 76 mph after the crash, according to court documents.
“Based off of my training and experience, a significant collision where there is a sudden change in velocity to include power loss to the vehicle, the speedometer may stay in the position it was during impact,” an officer explained in a search warrant filed on Aug. 28.
Police have searched Thomas’ car for crash data, like the speed at impact, brake position and steering wheel angle.
Thomas is scheduled to appear in Virginia Beach General District Court on Dec. 14 for a preliminary hearing. He was released on his own recognizance from the Virginia Beach Correctional Center.
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