KING GEORGE COUNTY, Va. -- A grand jury indicted William Watson Thursday for involuntary manslaughter and two counts of reckless driving in connection to a deadly ambulance crash.
Watson was behind the wheel of a Westmoreland County ambulance that crashed into two cars on September 17, killing 64-year-old Rita Davis and injuring several others.
As CBS 6 first reported in November, a whistleblower from inside the Westmoreland Rescue Squad and multiple witnesses said that the ambulance had its lights on when it entered the intersection, but not the siren.
Virginia law requires emergency vehicles to have both their lights and siren on, or else yield to traffic when they have a red light.
“I know 100% there was no siren,” said witness Kellie Dobson.
“Internally, I’ve heard first hand that there were no sirens on, that the lights were activated, lights were on, but no sirens were on and the vehicle did not slow down or stop before entering the intersection,” the whistleblower said he was told.
Watson had only been with the department one month at the time of the accident.
The whistleblower said the ambulance driver was still being trained, so he should not have been alone in the front of the vehicle.
“I do know that he had not been released by the department to drive yet. I don’t blame him for that because he’s doing his job the best that he knows how,” said the whistleblower. “One of the two people in the back needed to be up there with him if he was going to be driving.”
The circuit court will now issue a capias for William Watson’s arrest. Once he is served, he will be brought before a magistrate.
Stay with CBS 6 for the latest on this developing story.
