Matthew Evan Norwood, 27, of Cleveland Road, pleaded guilty Thursday in county Circuit Court in Annapolis to one count of automobile manslaughter in the Aug. 22 hit-and-run that claimed the life of 59-year-old Mary Bernice Collins of Glen Burnie.
In exchange for the plea, prosecutors dropped seven related charges, including leaving the scene of a fatal accident.
Prosecutors will argue at a sentencing hearing on April 20 that Norwood should serve more than 18 months in a state prison for the crime, while defense attorneys plan to seek a shorter sentence that would keep him in a county detention center.
No friends or family members representing either Norwood or Collins attended Thursday's hearing. Norwood's family plans to attend the sentencing, but Collins' family plans only to send a letter, attorneys said.
According to prosecutors, Norwood was driving a minivan north on Baltimore Annapolis Boulevard about 6:50 p.m. when it jumped a curb near the intersection of Oak Lane. A witness told police the minivan hit Collins as she stood on the sidewalk, and then continued on without stopping.
Deputy State's Attorney William Roessler said she was on her way to attend mass at Holy Trinity Catholic Church at 7434 Baltimore Annapolis Blvd.
Collins - who was knocked about 100 feet down the road into the front yard of a nearby home - was taken to Baltimore Washington Medical Center in Glen Burnie, where she was pronounced dead.
While paramedics were attending to Collins, county police found Norwood at a Royal Farms convenience store about two blocks away. Cpl. Scott Pedersen noticed Norwood standing outside his minivan, looking at a flat tire on the passenger side of the vehicle.
Norwood told police he did not remember hitting Collins, only "clipping a curb." He also had slurred speech, trouble keeping his balance and even fell asleep while talking to Pedersen, Roessler said.
But Norwood - who had just left a family dinner and was on his way home to celebrate his stepmother's birthday - was not drunk. A blood test found noalcohol, but two prescription drugs: the antidepressant Xanax and a narcotic analgesic, methadone.
Joseph Murtha, Norwood's defense attorney, said the drugs made his client tired, and that Norwood knew that would happen.
"He did know there would be an effect. He didn't perceive how profound it would be that day, though," he said.
Murtha said later that his client also is a Catholic and "has a lot of remorse and regret" for what happened.
In recent years, county judges generally have sentenced defendants convicted of automobile manslaughter to 18 months behind bars so they can serve their time in a local jail rather than state prison.
Roessler said Thursday he would seek a longer sentence because of Norwood's criminal and traffic record, as well as the fact that he left the scene of the crash.
According to online court records, Norwood - who has been incarcerated on this case since November - was convicted of underage drinking three times in late 2001 and early 2002.
He served four days in jail in 2007 on a charge he was driving on a suspended license, and six days in jail in 2008 on a charge of second-degree escape.
Norwood was convicted of a seat-belt violation last July, but acquitted of negligent driving in October, about a week after he was charged in the fatal crash.
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I - 2010-03-06 20:03:00
am all for hiim serving time for this offense. What I don't understand was the hit and run that occured New Years morning and the driver not being charged at all, not even for leaving the scene of an accident. I just don't under stand. Can someone explain?
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Pat Magnum - Arnold, MD - Karma: Bad
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Man guilty of fatal hit and run - 2010-03-05 19:31:17
This man surely new the chances that he was taking when he drove that vehicle. Xanax an methodone, he was already high on drugs. And to hit that woman and leave her in the street to die. Its always after someone does something wrong they always seem to want remorse, what about the victims. I think that he should rot, or better still let someone run over him and leave him in the street to die. The victims never have a voice. I can see if there were'nt any drugs or alochol involved, but he knew that he should not have been driving anything.
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vergie hayes - fayetteville, nc - Karma: Neutral
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Md Driving Laws too lenient - 2010-03-05 14:56:18
We need stiffer driving laws and start holding these drivers responsible for their actions, instead of the slap of the back of their hand.
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Rick M - Laurel, Md - Karma: Excellent
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Off the Hook - 2010-03-05 14:10:00
He's looking at a very short sentence, considering that he ran somebody over and then left them to die on the street.
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A K - Annapolis, MD - Karma: Excellent
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