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A Richmond man who faced as many as 10 years behind bars for a car crash that killed an 89-year-old man in Ruckersville two years ago will likely see no jail time.
That’s contingent on Jordan Shelton, a 28-year-old with a history of reckless driving, avoiding even a single speeding violation for a year.
It may prove a challenge for him, as he has amassed six driving convictions in the past six years. And the month after the car crash that killed 89-year-old Unionville man Melvin Bond Sr., Shelton was charged with driving 96 mph in a 65 mph zone in Henrico County, for which he was found guilty and served two days of a three-month sentence.
Under the terms of Shelton’s plea deal, submitted in Greene County Circuit Court on June 24, he has pleaded guilty to reckless driving but not guilty to involuntary manslaughter. Judge David Barredo said he would drop the involuntary manslaughter charge after a year, but only if Shelton can keep a clean driving record during that time.
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While he has avoided the two-day jury trial planned for him, Barredo said that had it come to that, Shelton likely would have been found guilty.
“The court would find you guilty with sufficient evidence of involuntary manslaughter if you had your trial today,” Barredo told Shelton.
Had he been found guilty, Shelton could have faced a decade in prison.
Shelton was driving a Freightliner box truck west on Matthew Mill Road in Ruckersville on May 4, 2023, when he rounded a curve and struck a Kia Rondo with Bond at the wheel, according to Virginia State Police.
Greene County Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Daniel White told the court that a state trooper who responded to the scene of the crash was prepared to testify that Shelton said he often drove over the centerline “on roads like that.”
The only evidence presented in court on June 24 was photos of the crash scene, showing tire marks on the road running up to the box truck.
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White said the photos support the commonwealth’s claim that Shelton was responsible for the collision.
A Virginia State Police crash expert also testified to his assessment of the crash.
“I would disagree with the evidence in a trial but as a part of this plea agreement, I won’t,” Graven Craig, Shelton’s attorney, told the court.
Under the terms of Shelton’s plea deal, should the commonwealth eventually prosecute the case, the photos will be used as evidence in combination with any driving violations he has accumulated over the prior year.
In his client’s defense, Craig told the court that “Greene County roads are different than Richmond roads,” with which Shelton is more familiar. White called Matthew Mill Road in Ruckersville a “windy, residential road.”
More than 40 crashes have been reported along Matthew Mill Road since January 2020, according to Greene County Sheriff’s Office records obtained by The Daily Progress.
Bond’s family agreed with the plea agreement. White told the court they want Shelton to learn from the experience.
“They don’t want Mr. Shelton to suffer or to ruin this man’s life,” White said on behalf of the Bonds.
After the judge accepted the plea deal, Shelton turned to face the family.
“I sincerely apologize to the family. I didn’t do anything intentionally and have been remorseful since that day,” he said.
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