WEST OCEAN CITY RESIDENT RUSSELL KIMBALL SENTENCED IN FATAL HIT-AND-RUN CRASH
Worcester County, MD - In a recent courtroom decision, Russell Kimball, age 63, from West Ocean City, Maryland, was given a 15-year sentence by the Division of Corrections. The local resident was found guilty of negligent homicide while intoxicated and for failing to remain at the scene of the accident.
Kimball was convicted on February 28, 2024, by the Honorable Judge Beau H. Oglesby of the Worcester County Circuit Court. Judge Oglesby divided the sentence into a 10-year term for negligent homicide and an additional 5-year stint for fleeing the scene of a crime resulting in death.
Kimball will serve five years of the sentence, with the balance suspended, and upon release, will be subjected to five years of supervised probation.
The tragic incident occurred on October 6, 2022, when Maryland State Police were called to Grays Corner Road in Berlin, Maryland. The victim, Terri Lynn Wattay, was discovered unresponsive and critically injured off the roadside.
Wattay was immediately flown to the University of Maryland's Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore but was later pronounced dead on account of her injuries.
Troopers' investigation led them to Kimball's residence, where they found a white Chevrolet Suburban missing a side mirror and a reflector. Kimball admitted to driving the vehicle earlier that evening, swerving to avoid a dog on the road.
Following a failed field sobriety test, Kimball's blood test also showed a blood alcohol content of .12, significantly above the legal limit. Receipts from a local diner suggested that Kimball had consumed six shots of vodka and two beers before driving home that evening.
Witness testimonies further suggested that Kimball knew that he had hit Wattay with his vehicle and had quickly attempted to influence his roommate to misdirect law enforcement.
Worcester County State's Attorney Kris Heiser expressed sympathy for Wattay's family and loved ones, stating that this senseless act has forever changed their lives. Heiser praised the Maryland State Police for their investigative work and Assistant State's Attorney Pamela Correa for diligently prosecuting the case.
Kimball was convicted on February 28, 2024, by the Honorable Judge Beau H. Oglesby of the Worcester County Circuit Court. Judge Oglesby divided the sentence into a 10-year term for negligent homicide and an additional 5-year stint for fleeing the scene of a crime resulting in death.
Kimball will serve five years of the sentence, with the balance suspended, and upon release, will be subjected to five years of supervised probation.
The tragic incident occurred on October 6, 2022, when Maryland State Police were called to Grays Corner Road in Berlin, Maryland. The victim, Terri Lynn Wattay, was discovered unresponsive and critically injured off the roadside.
Wattay was immediately flown to the University of Maryland's Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore but was later pronounced dead on account of her injuries.
Troopers' investigation led them to Kimball's residence, where they found a white Chevrolet Suburban missing a side mirror and a reflector. Kimball admitted to driving the vehicle earlier that evening, swerving to avoid a dog on the road.
Following a failed field sobriety test, Kimball's blood test also showed a blood alcohol content of .12, significantly above the legal limit. Receipts from a local diner suggested that Kimball had consumed six shots of vodka and two beers before driving home that evening.
Witness testimonies further suggested that Kimball knew that he had hit Wattay with his vehicle and had quickly attempted to influence his roommate to misdirect law enforcement.
Worcester County State's Attorney Kris Heiser expressed sympathy for Wattay's family and loved ones, stating that this senseless act has forever changed their lives. Heiser praised the Maryland State Police for their investigative work and Assistant State's Attorney Pamela Correa for diligently prosecuting the case.
