Parrish man sentenced to 30 years in prison for running over, killing man in 2018
A Parrish man was convicted and sentenced to 30 years in prison for running over a man in 2018 after a road rage incident turned deadly.
State Attorney Ed Brodsky announced in a news release Monday that John Thomas Cray, 50, was convicted on Aug. 10 after entering an open plea to charges of manslaughter with a weapon and leaving the scene of a crash involving death.
“I am pleased that the victim’s family was able to get justice for their loved one, which will surely help with their grief. This outcome would not have been possible without law enforcement’s hard work," Assistant State Attorney Charlie Lawrence, the lead prosecutor on the case, said in the release.
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Prior to the trial, Cray entered a "stand your ground" motion, arguing he had feared "death or great bodily harm for himself and his pregnant wife," during the encounter. This caused him to act in self-defense by accelerating his car.
His attorney, Peter Lombardo, said Monday over the phone there really was no dispute that the victim, Bradley John Yost, was the aggressor in this case.
"Mr. Cray took what he felt was the only action he could and ended up, unfortunately, killing Mr. Yost," Lombardo said.
Circuit Court Judge Stephen Whyte denied the motion during a May 9 hearing.
Lombardo explained that his client scored just over 12 years in prison, and the judge found five reasons to go under 12 years, but choose not to, opting for a harsher sentence.
"This is a case where there are no winners, it was horrible what happened to Mr. Yost," Lombardo said. "But there was no intent by Mr. Cray to kill. That's why he was only charged with manslaughter, not murder."
He added he is talking with Cray to see if his client would like to appeal.
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Trail of human tissue, blood lead to body
Manatee County court records, including the arrest report, victim report, and a complaint, paint a picture of what happened on Dec. 6, 2018.
Florida Highway Patrol Corp. David Brunner said in a complaint filed in 2019 that he was called to investigate an incident on Bayshore Road in Palmetto on the morning of Dec. 7, 2018.
The previous night, Yost, 32, and then 47-year-old Cray were both driving on Bayshore Road around 9:20 p.m.
Cray told investigators he and his wife were heading north on the roadway when Yost pulled out in front of Cray's 2015 black Chevrolet 3500 pick-up truck, according to the complaint. Cray said Yost's car, a 2018 gray Honda Accord, was swerving between lanes and Yost was "brake checking" him.
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Both drivers then pulled over along the roadway and Yost got out of his car, walking across the road to where Cray had stopped. Witnesses told investigators Yost was visibly upset as he approached the truck, the complaint states.
Cray told officers that he thought Yost had something in his hand and when he approached the truck, he struck the driver's side of the hood with his fists.
At that moment, Cray accelerated his truck, hitting Yost, according to the complaint. Witnesses said the truck paused after hitting Yost, then accelerated again driving off from the scene.
However, the vehicle didn't just leave the scene, it dragged Yost along with it. When Cray accelerated the second time his truck drove over Yost. The man's foot became trapped in the undercarriage of the vehicle.
Yost was dragged beneath the vehicle for 1.8 miles, according to the news release from the State Attorney's Office.
Cray left the scene of the crash and drove into an RV resort, stopping briefly in front of his residence to look at his truck to see if anything was wrong, the complaint states. Cray later told police he didn't know where Yost was and feared the other driver may be following him, so he drove to a Shell gas station.
Brunner said when investigators inspected the scene, they found what appeared to be human tissue, blood, and torn fabric that trailed off toward the RV resort. They followed the trail from the site of the collision to the residence and then to the intersection of US 41 and 73rd Street East where Yost's body finally broke free from the truck.
Cray told investigators after he inspected his truck again at the gas station, he left with the intention of going back to the scene. However, when he approached the intersection of US 41 and 73rd Street East, he saw a body and turned in the opposite direction. Cray said he tried again to get to the scene, but it appeared to be closed.
He finally approached a Manatee County Sheriff's deputy at a parking lot of a Dollar General, informing the deputy he needed to talk to him, the complaint states.
When deputies inspected his car, they found a boot still lodged in the undercarriage which matched a boot found near where the victim had been found.
Further investigation into cell phone records found that neither Cray nor his wife had called 9-1-1 for help when he fled the scene, the complaint states.
Brunner said in the complaint that Dr. Suzanne Utley from the District 12 Medical Examiner's Office determined Yost's cause of death was blunt impact injuries to the torso. The manner of death was undetermined.
A toxicology report indicated Yost had been impaired at the time of the incident with a .165 BAC, which is two times over the legal limit.
Gabriela Szymanowska covers the legal system for the Herald-Tribune in partnership with Report for America. You can support her work with a tax-deductible donation to Report for America. Contact Gabriela Szymanowska at gszymanowska@gannett.com, or on Twitter.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Parrish man gets 30 year prison sentence in fatal 2018 hit-and-run
