Brock found not guilty on all counts

    Andrew Tyler Brock was found not guilty on all three counts of vehicular homicide. The Washington County jury delivered the unanimous verdict late Thursday morning. Brock, 19, of Washington, was charged with three counts of vehicular homicide in connection to a three-vehicle collision on May 23, 2009, in which three people died ? Samuel Langstaff, 30, of Indianola, his wife Jacqueline Langstaff, 29, of Indianola, and Travis Filben, 19, of Keota, who was a passenger in Brock?s pickup.

    Assistant Attorney General Laura Roan gave the state?s closing arguments Wednesday afternoon. She said the state did not have to prove that Brock intentionally caused the deaths of the three victims in order to prove he was guilty of vehicular homicide. Instead, the state had to show Brock drove his car in a reckless manner, which means with a disregard for the safety of others, and that his acts unintentionally caused the deaths of Samuel Langstaff, Jacqueline Langstaff and Travis Filben.

    Roan said Brock was driving too fast that afternoon given he was on a gravel road (Lexington Boulevard), that he was going downhill and that he was approaching a blind intersection. Further, she said that, according to Brock?s tire marks identified by Iowa State Patrol officer Jonah Grier, he was traveling on the left side of the road when he entered the intersection with Highway 92, where the accident occurred.

    Roan referred to the testimony of four eyewitnesses to the scene: Brad Sheetz, Jared Freel, Paul LaRoche and the defendant himself. Sheetz testified that he was traveling south on Lexington that day and met Brock?s pickup on the road. Sheetz estimated Brock was traveling 70 mph. He added that he was afraid Brock?s pickup would shoot up gravel through his windshield, so he ducked his head below the steering wheel.

    Freel was driving a semi westbound on Highway 92. He saw Brock?s pickup approach the intersection from the south, and estimated that Brock went through the intersection at about 30 to 35 mph. Brock hit the Langstaffs? vehicle coming from the west, and pushed it into the eastbound lane, where it was struck by Freel?s semi.    

    LaRoche was driving a car behind Freel?s semi and also saw Brock approach the intersection. LaRoche testified that there was no way the pickup was going to be able to stop at the sign.

    On direct examination, Brock said he was traveling between 55 and 60 mph on Lexington.

    ?The defendant admitted to going over the speed limit,? said Roan.

    Roan said the defendant?s brakes might have failed, but that he was going too fast when he approached the stop sign.

    It was then defense attorney Doug Tindal?s turn to address the jury. Tindal referred to the testimony of former Iowa State Patrol officer Ray Knight, who said that eyewitness reports of an accident scene can be wrong. On direct examination, Sheetz testified that there was no way Brock could have made the corner at Lexington and Larch driving as fast as he was when Sheetz saw him. In his closing remarks, Tindal said that Sheetz did not follow Brock north on Lexington and provided no testimony about how Brock took the corner at Larch or what happened at the intersection with Highway 92.

For more, see our March 10 print edition.