‘Nothing But a Tragedy,’ Judge Says of Vehicular Manslaughter

By Destiny Rodriguez [former] - March 12, 2024
Court | Daily Stories | Homicides | Traffic | Victims |

On March 11, a 61-year-old man accused of vehicular manslaughter initially appeared before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Melissa M. Phinn for a plea hearing.

Galen Hyman is charged with vehicular manslaughter, criminally negligent vehicular manslaughter and vehicular homicide and two counts for failing to stop and remain at the scene. The incident left one man dead and another seriously injured.

The assistant state’s attorneys recommended Hyman be jailed for 10 years, suspending all but three years, as well as three years of supervised probation for vehicular manslaughter and five years, suspending all but three, for failure to remain on the scene. 

Judge Phinn passed on accepting the plea and instructed that the defendant be sent to Judge Phillip S. Jackson for disposition. 

As the hearing resumed, defense attorneys Robert A. Cohen and Janet K. Andersen explained that Hyman agreed to the plea terms and Judge Jackson accepted Hyman’s decision.

Those affected by the incident gave impact statements in hopes that the judge would give the maximum sentence. 

The father of 38-year-old Garrick Leon Williams Jr., killed in the crash said he was outraged, disappointed and heartbroken with prosecutors and the criminal justice system. Stating that his family was completely torn apart after the loss of his son, he asked for the maximum penalty. “I’m affected by this for life, why can’t he be?” he said.

The victim who survived said he was blessed to be alive after being struck by the defendant’s vehicle. He said he walked out of his office only to wake up in the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center in agony.

“I can’t believe the person would leave me on the sidewalk and didn’t call the ambulance,” he said.

He explained since the accident needs a cane to walk and will undergo surgery to combat balance issues. In addition, he was distraught about putting his mother in a nursing home because he was unable to take care of her. 

Meanwhile, Cohen stated that Hyman is currently dealing with the murder of his son as well as the taking care of his daughter.

For his part Hyman said that he had no intention of committing the crime. 

The incident occurred in the parking lot of the Shoppers grocery store at Mondawmin Mall on the 2000 block of Gwynns Falls Parkway. According to previous coverage, Hyman was accused of attempting to leave the scene after striking the victims then hitting a car, a tree and finally a second car.

In response, Judge Jackson explained, “This case is nothing but a tragedy,” noting, “I could only approximate justice.”

Judge Jackson sentenced Hyman to ten years, suspending all but four years, with three years of probation for vehicular manslaughter and a concurrent five years, suspending all but four years, for the failure to stop and remain at the scene.