Man pleads not guilty to involuntary manslaughter

A Stafford man pleaded not guilty in Prince William Circuit Court Tuesday morning to charges stemming from a November car accident in the Manassas area.

Scott Richard Edgell, 47, of 71 Cliff Circle in Stafford, is charged with involuntary manslaughter and misdemeanor reckless driving for a Nov. 10 car accident that killed 52-year-old Dennis Webb of Manassas.

Tuesday morning witnesses described the events that led up to the collision, at the driveway of a Goodwill store on Sudley Road.

Witnesses said Edgell was driving his 2005 Jeep Liberty erratically, ran at least one red light, and was driving on the sidewalk and grass.

One witness said Edgell nearly hit him and several others standing on the sidewalk.

Another witness said Edgell struck his car near the intersection of Sudley Road and Lomond Drive, before continuing on.

Witnesses said the Jeep hit several road signs before becoming airborne near the Goodwill store and crashing into Webb’s white Toyota Pathfinder.
Webb died of injuries sustained in the accident.

In an opening statement defense attorney Tracey Lennox said her client is epileptic and suffered a seizure while driving on Sudley Road.

She said her client took his medication, as instructed by a doctor, but for some reason the medicine did not work that day.

“The medicine that had been effective for 12 months, for whatever reason, wasn’t effective anymore,“ she said. ‘He was driving his car and something outside of his control happened and he had a seizure.“
The defense will present its evidence when the trial continues this afternoon.