Jury Expected to Get Fatal Wreck Case Today
Jury deliberations are expected today in the case of a Canon man accused in the traffic deaths of two people and the injury of a third on SR17 in April 2012.
Authorities say on April 16th, 2012, James Thomas “Tommy” Dickson was high on drugs and alcohol when he crossed the double yellow line in the four-lane on SR 17 between Royston and Canon as he headed north – striking two pick up trucks heading south.
The impacts resulted in the deaths of 43-year old Joey Hart of Hull, GA and 77-year old Bobby Bland of Reidsville, GA.
Dickson was indicted last October by a Franklin County Grand Jury on four counts of homicide by vehicle in the first degree, two counts of serious injury by vehicle, possession of Schedule IV controlled substances, driving under the influence of controlled substances, DUI less safe drugs, DUI per se, DUI less safe alcohol and driving on the wrong side of the road.
After a day and a half of testimony, prosecutors rested their case Wednesday morning.
In presenting their case, defense attorneys Charles Desiderio and Margaret Dyal called a number of witnesses, including relatives who testified they did not want to see Dickson go to jail.
Also called for the defense was Dr. Randall Tackett, a professor of Pharmacology at the University of Georgia and an expert in the area of pharmacology and toxicology.
Tackett told the jury that the results of blood and urine tests done on Dickson at Greenville Memorial Hospital the night of April 16th showed only trace quantities of methadone, Xanax, marijuana and alcohol – below therapeutic levels and not enough he said to have impaired Dickson’s driving the day of the accident.
The defense also called Dickson himself to the stand.
Dickson said he was driving home to Canon when a white truck driven by Hart hit him broadside.
Dickson said a gold truck with a trailer also hit him and forced him backwards down the hill where his vehicle came to rest.
Dickson said while in the vehicle waiting for help, he found a bottle of Xanax belonging to a friend and he took some of the pills.
He also said he put his own methadone prescription along with his ID and wallet in the glove box.
But on cross examination from Northern Judicial Circuit District Attorney Parks White Dicksom said he didn’t remember taking the Xanax but assumed he had from reading the toxicology report.
White then recounted the list of arrests Dickson had for DUI going back to 1987, but Dickson said he had only been convicted on one of those charges, and claimed he has been routinely harassed by law enforcement since then.
He then asked White quote, “Are you done?” and left the stand.
White then called another pharmacology and toxicology expert from UGA, Dr. Cam Dallas.
Dallas told the court the tests taken on Dickson were done some seven hours after the crash -giving the drugs and alcohol time to work through Dickson’s system.
He said to find the real amount of drugs and alcohol in Dickson’s system at the time of the accident, one would have to extrapolate backwards seven hours.
At that time, he said Dickson’s blood alcohol level would have been around .10 around 3p April 16th and the level of drugs in his system was likely around 110 micrograms per litre – high enough he said to be at dangerous levels and to have caused Dickson to be woozy and unfit to drive.
Closing arguments got underway this morning at 9a.