OZARK, Mo. (AP) – A Missouri man accused of skipping his seizure medication and drinking a cocktail before causing a fatal motorcycle crash has been charged with involuntary manslaughter.
Forty-nine-year-old Douglas Dale also was charged this month with two counts of assault in the March 2019 crash that killed 67-year-old James Roe and seriously injured two other motorcyclists. No attorney is listed for him in online court records.
The Springfield News-Leader reports that Dale told investigators he had a seizure while driving, causing him to cross the median on U.S. 65 near Highlandville and hit a group of motorcyclists.
Dale’s blood alcohol concentration was within the legal limit, but his medical records note that his seizure was “exacerbated” by not taking his medication for at least a week and having alcohol in his system, according to a probable cause statement in the case.
Court records indicate Dale has an extensive criminal history that includes prior arrests for drinking and driving. He also was found guilty in 2003 of voluntary manslaughter in the fatal shooting his ex-wife, Jodie McAllister.
Involuntary manslaughter normally carries a possible 10-year prison sentence, but Dale could be subject to a more severe sentence because he is a prior and persistent felony offender.
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