Judge Pamila J. Brown acquitted the truck driver who struck and killed two teenagers in a controversial crash in Jessup of two traffic citations in Howard County District Court on Thursday.
Brown found Gary L. Dicks, 24, not guilty of negligent driving and failing to stop at a throughway, according to the county state?s attorney?s office.
Dicks? attorney had argued that he had the right of way when the crash occurred, while prosecutors maintained that Dicks should have stopped at the intersection once he noticed the light wasn?t working.
Slightly before 9:30 p.m. Jan. 6, 2006, power failed at the traffic light at the intersection of southbound Interstate 95 and westbound Route 175. About an hour and 15 minutes later, with the light still out, a tractor-trailer, driven by Dicks, exited I-95 and struck a Volvo traveling on Route 175.
Authorities pronounced Volvo passengers Scott E. Caplan, 19, of Columbia, and Theresa E. Howard, 18, of Sykesville dead at the scene.
A Maryland State Police officer and a Howard County officer responded to the scene , but left without marking the intersection, Howard County police said.
Both families have filed civil lawsuits against Dicks, the Maryland State Police, Meghan St. Martin of Marriottsville, who drove the Volvo, and several other defendants.
