May trial set following fatal crash

View larger image Hannah Davies

By Alex Bridges -- abridges@nvdaily.com

WINCHESTER -- A Stephens City woman faces a trial in May on charges related to a fatal crash that claimed the life of a town man in July.

Hannah Marie Davies, 19, of 129 Montgomery Circle, appeared in Frederick County Circuit Court on Monday with her attorney, N. Randolph "Randy" Bryant. Davies remains held at the Northwestern Regional Adult Detention Center on a charge of felony involuntary manslaughter and reckless driving by endangering the life of another person, a misdemeanor.

Retired Judge Benjamin Kendrick scheduled Davies' case for a bench trial May 25. Davies waived her right to a jury and the judge accepted the waiver. However, at the request of Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Andrew Robbins, he allowed the prosecutor to revisit whether he would ask the court to deny the defendant's waiver and order the case go before a jury.

Authorities accuse Davies of driving a 2003 Acura in the early morning hours of July 23 and crashing the car while heading west on Va. 1037 (Lakeside Drive) in the county, according to state police. The Acura overturned, struck a tree and then a parked car just east of Va. 642 shortly before 12:20 a.m.

Adam Cole Swiridow, 20, also of Stephens City, who rode as a passenger in the Acura, died at the scene from injuries he sustained in the crash, according to police reports.

The commonweath's attorney's office had charged Davies originally with aggravated involuntary manslaughter but, at her preliminary hearing in Frederick County General District Court last month, asked the judge to certify a reduced charge of involuntary manslaughter to the grand jury.

A preliminary breath test for alcohol taken of Davies at the time of the crash showed she had concentration of 0.05 percent, but the results are not admissible as evidence in court.

The judge did find Davies guilty of the misdemeanor charges of failing to wear a seat belt and underage possession of alcohol, the latter conviction Bryant appealed to the circuit court.