The Virginian-Pilot
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VIRGINIA BEACH
The city on Monday released its most detailed account of how a trash truck driver ran over and killed a homeless man on the beach in June.
According to the written narrative, driver Heather Boyd didn't see Michael Knockett because he was "in her blind spot." The 911 call, made by Boyd and played for The Pilot on Monday, appeared to confirm she didn't see Knockett.
Boyd ran over Knockett around 8 a.m. June 28 on the beach at 25th Street. A photo a tourist snapped of Knockett just before the accident appears to show him sleeping.
The lawyer representing Knockett's family, Carl La Mondue, criticized the city's account. He said he expects to soon file what will likely be a $25 million civil lawsuit. The city has claimed immunity from a lawsuit because the accident happened during routine government work.
"The driver created a blind spot because the driver chose not to look to the right of the vehicle," he said. "What was the driver doing? If you make a sharp right turn, aren't you going to look to the right?... This man should've been spotted."
City Attorney Mark Stiles said, "She's sitting up high in the truck and there's a pretty good area where you can't see the ground."
The city's written account included a statement from Stiles and a letter from Deputy City Attorney Christopher Boynton to La Mondue.
The documents said Boyd was driving down the beach when she stopped and got out of the truck to empty some trash cans. At that point, Knockett was lying in front and to the right of the vehicle.
"The position where he lay was concealed from the driver's view due to the vehicle's front-right blind spot," Boynton wrote. Two workers with Boyd had been riding on the truck's left side board and then climbed into the cab. When Boyd started driving again, "she observed what appeared to be an abandoned Styrofoam cooler ahead of the truck to the right. She made a sharp right turn in order to bring the cooler to the left side of the vehicle... It was at this point that the vehicle struck Mr. Knockett," the account said.
In a 911 call lasting five minutes and fourteen seconds, a panicked and periodically sobbing Boyd reported the accident. The city, which had refused to publicly release the tape, gave a copy to La Mondue. He played it for a Pilot reporter Monday.
"I was picking up trash and I think I might've run someone over," she told the dispatcher, adding shortly after that, "He had a blanket and stuff covered over him and I didn't see him."
She mentioned she thought the man might be homeless.
The dispatcher asked about Knockett's condition and whether Boyd knew CPR. She said she did and began administering it.
At one point, Boyd said she didn't want to "keep pushing on his chest. I don't want to hurt him."
She reported blood coming out his nose and mouth. The call ended when a police officer arrived.
City officials again said Boyd was not using her cell phone and was not under the influence of drugs or alcohol when she hit Knockett.
The city's account didn't directly acknowledge Boyd's driving record but said: "It does not appear Boyd violated any City policies or procedures by her actions leading up to and including the accident."
Between 2004 and 2008, Boyd was ticketed at least eight times, according to court records, and had at least four violations on her record when she was hired as a driver by the city in 2007.
The city said Knockett's blood-alcohol concentration was about between 0.36 and 0.37, at least four times Virginia's legal limit for driving.
La Mondue called Knockett's blood-alcohol concentration "irrelevant."
"The city is attempting to blame Mr. Knockett for his own death," he said.
The city apologized for the accident, paid for Knockett's funeral and has offered to create or improve a program to help the homeless as a tribute to Knockett.
Aaron Applegate, (757) 222-5122, aaron.applegate@pilotonline.com
Virginia Beach city attorney's statement on Michael Knockett's death Aug. 30
Virginia Beach rejects civil liability in Michael Knockett's death
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who's reputation?
i think the citizens who comment that his lifestyle has anything to do with him getting run over are not doing VB's reputation any good. his lifesyle had nothing to do with it, and his family has every right to pursue this.
what i can't believe is that VB allowed a 2.5ton (or bigger)truck to ride on the beach without reguard to people on the beach and claims he was not seen 100 ft, 75 ft or even 50 ft away. all i would need if i were on the jury is her driving record, weather there was a policy for driving on the beach between 8am - 8pm verses 8pm - 8am,and weather this cleaning crew saw ANY OTHER people on the beach that morning......GROSS NEGLIGENCE!
Irrepairable damage is being done by VB
Whether Virginia Beach government officials realize it or not, they are doing irrepairable damage to their reputations in denying responsibility for this accident. I imagine that their thought process is that this was just a homeless individual who served little or no purpose to the enrichment of city coffers, but if truth be told, the message that future tourists will get is that their lives will be worthless if something should happen to them during their visit here and even moreso if their harm results from a municipal's misdoing. Locals already know this (re: cars being towed, police harassment, and lack of representation)and have been staying away for years. If anything good comes of all of this, it might be that with lack of tourism dollars, the locals might be able to regain the use of the beach which their hard-earned tax dollars help pay for.
Irrepairable damage is being done by VB
Whether Virginia Beach government officials realize it or not, they are doing irrepairable damage to their reputations in denying responsibility for this accident. I imagine that their thought process is that this was just a homeless individual who served little or no purpose to the enrichment of city coffers, but if truth be told, the message that future tourists will get is that their lives will be worthless if something should happen to them during their visit here and even moreso if their harm results from a municipal's misdoing. Locals already know this (re: cars being towed, police harassment, and lack of representation)and have been staying away for years. If anything good comes of all of this, it might be that with lack of tourism dollars, the locals might be able to regain the use of the beach which their hard-earned tax dollars help pay for.
What Is The Value of A Man's Life???
So the City is not willing to pay $1 for a man's life.
Many people died on 9/11, was not the US Government's fault, but the US Government recognized the value of their lives and attempted to compensate people.
No one can say what this man may have done with the remainder of his life and no one should judge.
What a poor commentary from the City, Virginia Beach must have some of the most unsafe beaches. Did they pay when the Lifeguard Supervisor ran over the man.
Why Now?
I haven't read all the 189 comments, so this may have already been said... So, the Attorney says he is going to sue for $25 million for the family?? Where was this family while he was homeless?? Now they want to make a buck from this tragedy?!?! Shame on the family for doing this, in my personal opinion!!
You don't know what the
You don't know what the circumstances were regarding his homelessness and it's of no consequence to the tragedy. The bottom line is Va Beach is wrong and they need to pay.
"Where was this family while
"Where was this family while he was homeless??"
They were praying every day like good Christians that he was safe from city employees running over him while asleep.
A Blind Spot?!?
She was driving on a flat beach for God's sake. I'd like to see exact details like route leading up to this mishap. How did these employees not see Mr. Knockett before he was run over? Citing a blind spot as the cause of this horrendous needless death sounds like a whole bunch of b.s. to me.
By paying for the funeral
By paying for the funeral the city has admitted guilt, and another thing, EVERYONE has a blind spot when driving, Ignorence is NO excuse.
The city pays for the
The city pays for the funeral of every homeless person who passes.