Deputy guilty in 104-mph crash into Smart car
"A speeding train out of control," they said. "A bowling ball with a battering ram."
A Palm Beach County jury had another word for it: Guilty.
After 75 minutes of deliberations, they convicted
The felony trial this week focused on the deputy's conduct behind the wheel before he plowed his
Circuit Judge
As his wife wept in the courtroom, Hegele pleaded with the judge to let him stay free on bond, so he can continue to work a part-time job to help support the couple and their two small children.
"We're going to lose the house," said Hegele, a 13-year veteran of the sheriff's office who has been on unpaid leave since his arrest by the agency following the crash.
"Unfortunately, sometimes an employee makes a bad decision which leads to misconduct," sheriff's spokeswoman
She said a disciplinary investigation will begin now that the criminal case is over.
Defense attorneys
The victim's sister,
"I am so sorry that his family will have to suffer just like mine," said Desrouleaux, who testified her brother suffers from memory loss because of a brain injury and had a difficult recovery from many broken bones.
In closing arguments Thursday, prosecutors contended Hegele ignored commands to stop pursuing another car wanted by police, and increased his cruiser's speed until he caused the violent crash on
"At 104 miles per hour, you don't have control," Assistant State Attorney
Hegele's defense was that he was responding to a "be on the lookout" alert for a
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But sheriff's supervisors testified they told deputies to hang back while arrangements were made for a helicopter to conduct a search.
Hegele's attorneys argued there was also a command to keep the suspect car in sight, but not to engage in a chase.
Richardson said a dashcam video proved Hegele was a very careful driver, even at high speeds.
"He's very aware of traffic and he's not reckless," he said of the deputy changing lanes and using his lights and sirens within intersections. "No other vehicle is affected by his driving whatsoever."
But the big dispute in the trial centered on a U-turn made by Deshommes into the westbound lanes of Southern, with Hegele six seconds away.
Laurie said Deshommes' Smart car was nearly the length of three football fields in front of Hegele, but the deputy was traveling 152 feet per second and could not avoid the crash.
Hegele hit the brakes about one second before impact, according to black box data shared with the jurors.
She presented the jury with cell phone records to prove Deshommes wasn't on a call, but said even if he was holding the device it doesn't mean he's to blame.
Hegele's attorney presented four reasons for the jury to find reasonable doubt, all of which put the responsibility for the crash on Deshommes.
"I'm not blaming the victim," Richardson said. "I'm analyzing the facts."
To emphasize what he called the tragic consequences of the deputy's speed, prosecutor
"If only this defendant remembered the motto, to serve and protect," he said.
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