Bend woman pleads not guilty in fatal DUII crash
Before another courtroom packed with a crash victim’s family and friends, a Bend woman’s attorney entered not guilty pleas to manslaughter, DUII and other charges Wednesday in a Dec. 30 crash that killed dentist Marika Stone as she was cycling with two others east of the city.
Shantel Witt, 41, was not required to be in court for the proceedings before Deschutes County Circuit Judge Stephen Forte. Her attorney, Bryan Donahue, entered the pleas on her behalf to charges of first-degree manslaughter, DUII and two counts of recklessly endangering another person.
Forte set a Jan. 29 trial date for Witt, with the proceedings expected to take about eight days. A Jan. 24 trial readiness hearing also was scheduled, court records showed.
The case has drawn increased attention in part because Stone was well-known in the cycling community, as well as a dentist. Prosecutors have said Witt, apparently under the influence of drugs, was driving recklessly and swerved onto the other side of Dodds Road and struck the bicyclist.
Donahue said not requiring a defendant to appear for plea entry is a relatively new procedure that began in the last year and is a way for the court to move more efficiently with procedural matters.
“In anyone’s case, anyone in Ms. Witt’s case, is innocent until proven guilty,” Donahue later told NewsChannel 21. “While I think for a lot of people on the surface, things may seem simple. But any time we deal with law, we find it’s not simple. It’s incredibly complex. There’s a lot of moving pieces here. It’s really important we keep an open mind.”
Many of Stone’s friends and family expressed frustration and disappointment over the not guilty plea.
Since the fatal crash, a Facebook group has formed called One DUI Too Many that has drawn a lot of members and attention.
Group leader Phillippe Freeman spoke to NewsChannel 21 after the hearing about the importance of holding officials accountable in enforcing DUII laws.
“Enjoy what we have in Central Oregon,” Freeman said. “Just stay off the streets once you do it.”
Freeman said the group plans to change the culture of Central Oregon and seeks to hold everyone accountable, in order to keep loved ones safe.
