A Roane County man accused of driving the wrong way on I-40 and crashing into a motorcyclist that resulted in the death of the cycle’s driver was denied his motion for a lower bond.
Daniel Lee Miller of Rockwood was arrested in a warrant filed by the Tennessee Highway Patrol in June, charging him with vehicular homicide in the death of Helene McGarvey, 61, formerly of New York and living in Andersonville, TN, at the time of her death.
The crash occurred June 16 near the 336.8 mile marker near Westel when Miller is alleged to have driven his 2013 Ford F150 pickup east onto the west lane of I-40 and collided with McGarvey’s 2013 Harley Davidson. McGarvey was dead at the scene.
The case is pending in Cumberland County General Sessions Court and Crossville attorney Randal Boston filed an appeal of his motion in that court for a reduction of bond from $500,000 to “a reasonable amount.” The bond had originally been set at $1.5 million but had already been reduced to $500,000 in Sessions Court.
Boston said Miller’s release from jail was important to his preparation for defending his client and alcohol and GPS monitoring devices could be used to monitor Miller’s activities.
Prosecutors countered the bond had already been reduced once and that $500,000 bond was proper in consideration of the charge and potential sentence if the case ends in a guilty verdict.
Criminal Court Judge Gary McKenzie was reluctant to rule on a case that was not past the preliminary hearing stage of prosecution and has yet to be presented to the grand jury.
“I am not willing to substitute my judgment” over that of General Sessions Court Judge Amanda Worley, McKenzie said in denying the motion to reduce bond.
The case returns back to General Sessions Court for the next step in the judicial process.