JONESBORO, Ark. — The prosecution in the state’s case against Fulton County resident Kristopher Gould says there is not a lot of disagreement on what happened the night he hit and killed Preston Brayfield, according to a report from KAIT in Jonesboro.Gould of Mammoth Spring is on trial for negligent homicide, after driving into a construction zone near the Tyronza Bridge and hitting and killing Brayfield on May 30, 2020.
The prosecution said a blood draw from that night shows Gould’s blood alcohol content was 0.326%. That’s four times the legal limit of 0.08%.
Brayfield, a construction employee working in the blocked-off inside lane on I-555, was hit at between 63-69 miles per hour, according to information from the black box in Gould’s car.
The black box shows Gould was driving at 95 miles per hour two-and-a-half seconds before impact.
He hit his brakes two seconds before hitting Brayfield and after impact, his car rolled over and came to a stop off the road. Gould kept his eyes down and a straight face throughout the testimony on Tuesday.
The responding officer, Arkansas State Police (ASP) Trooper Tommy Fitzgerald, was the first to testify in the case. Fitzgerald said he was called to the scene around 7:44 p.m., and it was still daylight when he arrived.
On his way to the scene, Fitzgerald was told it was a fatal accident. Fitzgerald said he saw car debris, blood and pieces of Brayfield’s clothing and body around the crash site.
Brayfield’s leg had been removed from his body during the incident. The prosecution said autopsy reports show Brayfield’s cause of death was blunt force trauma from the crash.
Brayfield’s family became emotional while the jury was shown pictures of the crash site, including pictures of Brayfield’s body and leg. Fitzgerald spoke with Gould near an ambulance after arriving on the scene and noticed the smell of alcohol, bloodshot eyes and slurred speech from the Fulton County man. He also found a cooler with beer inside in Gould’s front floorboard, as well as open beer cans and a bottle of liquor. Gould told Fitzgerald he had been drinking earlier that day.
Fitzgerald took Gould to St. Bernards Hospital in Jonesboro for a blood draw, and then to the Poinsett County Jail, where he was booked in on negligent homicide.
The defense in the case asked the jury to weigh the facts and evidence without emotion before testimony began.
Other witnesses on Tuesday include the ASP officer that gathered information from the black box after the crash, the paramedic that first arrived on the scene and the LPN that drew Gould’s blood.
If found guilty, Gould faces five to 20 years in prison, and/or a fine of up to $15,000.
Neither Brayfield’s family nor the defense will comment on the case until the trial is completed.
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