RED LODGE — An eight-person jury determined Friday afternoon that Carbon County Sgt. Kelly Carrington should not face any criminal charges for hitting a killing two men at a crash scene on Highway 212 north of Roberts last July.
The verdict was handed down to Park County Coroner Albert Jenkins around 2:45 p.m.
Carrington, who has been with the Carbon County Sheriff's Office for 11 years, hit and killed Jesse Beck, 45, and Darren Shull, 52, on the night of July 16 after Beck had crashed his motorcycle and Shull stopped to render aid. Beck and Shull did not know each other prior to the crash.
The jury ruled the death of both men was accidental and justified.
Carrington had been responding to the accident scene and was traveling around 113 mph when he hit the men in the road.
Questions of speed, lighting, dispatch information, and location of the crash were all examined by Carbon County County Attorney Alex Nixon and presented to a jury.
A coroner's inquest, required by Montana state law when a person dies at the hands of law enforcement or in their custody, asks citizen jurors to review evidence of the case and decide if law enforcement can face charges. Their verdict is non-binding and it is ultimately the decision of a county attorney whether to file charges.
(Update 7:30 p.m. Nixon said he plans to follow the jury's recommendation.
"Without question, the accident was very tragic. Based on the attendance at the inquest, the incident impacted many lives. I hope the conclusion of the inquest helps those impacted, whether they agreed with the outcome or not, move on," he wrote to MTN News.)
Two pieces of evidence presented in court that take jurors to the night of the crash: A four-minute 911 call placed by Shull, an off-duty paramedic, and dashcam/body cam footage from Carrington—both played in their entirety.
More than a dozen witnesses were called over the two-day inquest, including law enforcement, forensic investigators, witnesses to the crash, crash reconstruction specialists and Carrington himself.
Law enforcement and law enforcement driving instructors testified that Carrington's speed was within the parameters of their training and Montana Highway Patrol trooper David Sanderlin testified that, "One rule of thumb is don't go more than double the posted speed limit."
This is a developing story. Check back for details.
