The Maryland street racer accused of plowing his car into a crowd of onlookers during an illegal street race last February pleaded guilty Friday to eight counts of vehicular manslaughter.
Darren Jamar Bullock, 22, of Waldorf killed eight and injured six others when he slammed his 1999 Crown Victoria into a cluster of roadside gawkers along Route 210 in Accokeek during the early morning hours of Feb. 16, 2008.
Bullock is scheduled to be sentenced March 1.
The trial for the other driver involved in the deadly race, 20-year-old Tavon Taylor, is set to begin Monday. Even though Taylor was not behind the wheel of the vehicle that struck the victims, Maryland law states that any driver in an illegal race that results in injury can be held responsible for those injuries.
Taylor, also of Waldorf, is being charged with eight counts of vehicular manslaughter, as well as reckless driving and illegal racing. He could face more than 80 years behind bars.
“We’re looking forward to our day in court and proving Tavon’s innocence in this matter,” Taylor’s attorney, J. Wyndal Gordon, told The Examiner.
A spokesman for State’s Attorney Glenn Ivey declined to comment on the pending trial, and Bullock’s attorney could not be reached.
Prosecutors said that they have pieced together the case by speaking with at least 75 witnesses and viewing nearby security camera footage. A crowd of roughly 200 people had reportedly gathered along the highway to watch an unconnected street race when Bullock and Taylor’s cars zoomed up behind the onlookers and the fatal impact occurred. Some witnesses said that Bullock was driving with his lights off and might not have seen the victims.
Last May, Bullock was arrested again after police said they caught him driving a stolen van in Charles County. Court records also show that Taylor was ticketed in March after he was found to be driving with a passenger under the age of 16 who was not wearing a seat belt.
