OFF THE WIRE
BUSHNELL
BRAD BUCK
Staff Writer
http://www.blogger.com/goog_194383597
A judge has set a tentative trial date of April 4 for a Bushnell man involved in an accident that resulted in the deaths of four motorcyclists.
Paul Sermons, 45, faces four counts of vehicular manslaughter DUI, according to court records.
He is accused in the deaths of four bikers who died March 13, 2010, in a crash just west of Bushnell. Three died at the scene, and one died later at a hospital.
Bikers are attending every court hearing involving the case against Sermons.
According to a Florida Highway Patrol accident report, the motorcyclists were killed just before 7 p.m. after a truck driven by Sermons tried to pass another vehicle, but wound up striking two motorcycles head on.
The wreck happened on County Road 476 near County Road 629, troopers said.
Sermons was driving a 1991 GMC truck and was passing a 2003 Dodge truck, traveling westbound on CR 476, according to the report. At the same time, two motorcycles were eastbound.
When he realized the motorcycles were closer than he thought, Sermons tried to slow down, according to the FHP report, but he could not slow down enough to avoid a crash.
His truck hit both motorcycles, ejecting both drivers and both passengers.
Sumter County Fire Rescue pronounced three of the motorcyclists dead at the scene. A fourth was taken to an area hospital and died later.
The dead were listed as John Holmes, 52, of Beverly Hills, and his passenger, Patricia Beihayn, 52, of Hernando, according to the report. William Barker, 54, of Stuart, the driver of the other motorcycle, and his passenger, Patrice Poole, 55, of Mount Dora, also were killed in the wreck.
