DeKalb man charged in connection with hit-and-run crash

Donna Thornton, The Gadsden Times
·1 min read

A 22-year-old Sylvania man is charged with manslaughter and felony leaving the scene of an accident in connection with a crash Saturday that killed a 14-year-old near Geraldine.

Tyler Blaise Wilbanks was arrested at about 5:40 a.m. Wednesday in Pell City, according to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency's Highway Patrol Division.

Troopers say Wilbanks was the driver of a 2016 Chevy Equinox that struck a motorcycle at about 10:20 p.m. Saturday.

The teen was identified by family members on social media as Harley Lasseter, a freshman at Geraldine High School.

The DeKalb County DA’s Office, DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office, St. Clair County Sheriff’s Office, Rainsville Police Department, Albertville Police Department, Fort Payne Police Department, Geraldine Police Department and The Center for Applied Forensics assisted in the arrest, troopers said.

Troopers continue to investigate the crash.

Contact Gadsden Times reporter Donna Thornton at 256-393-3284 or donna.thornton@gadsdentimes.com.

This article originally appeared on The Gadsden Times: Sylvania man charged in fatal hit-and-run crash near Geraldine