Unavailable Counsel Causes Third Trial Delay for 2021 Gwynns Falls Parkway Vehicular Manslaughter Defendant

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The man accused of hitting 38-year-old Garrick Williams, Jr. with his car in 2021 was supposed to start trial before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Timothy J. Doory on Aug. 3 but the case was sent to reception court.

Defendant Galen Hyman instead appeared before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Melissa M. Phinn , where stand-in defense attorney Greg Fischer requested a postponement because Hyman’s defense attorneys Janet Andersen and Robert Cohen are in another trial.

Judge Phinn continued the hearing to Aug. 11 to allow the parties time to talk about a potential trial date.

During Thursday’s proceeding Hyman, 61, rejected a plea of 10 years, suspending all but five years with five years of supervised probation for vehicular manslaughter, a consecutive five years for vehicular homicide and a consecutive five years, suspending time served for failure to immediately stop at the scene of an accident involving a death.

The defendant is also charged with criminally negligent vehicular manslaughter and failure to immediately stop at the scene of an accident involving a death in connection to the March 1, 2021 incident.

Charging documents state that the defendant allegedly struck Williams in the parking lot of the Shoppers grocery store located on the 2000 block of Gwynns Falls Parkway. Hyman allegedly drove onto the sidewalk of the establishment, striking Williams and another victim. A photo was used to identify the defendant as a suspect.

Police believe Hyman was under the influence of drugs at the time of the incident.