Prineville man convicted of manslaughter in crash that killed 2
A Crook County jury has convicted a Prineville man on more than a dozen charges, including manslaughter, DUII and criminally negligent homicide, in a 2017 rollover crash southwest of Prineville that killed two of his four passengers.
After several days of testimony and about three hours of deliberation, the jury late Thursday afternoon found Justin Dewey Bittick, 38, guilty on all 14 charges, including two counts each of first- and second-degree manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide and third-degree assault, one count each of DUII and reckless driving and four counts of recklessly endangering another person.
Judge Annette Hillman ordered Bittick immediately taken into custody until sentencing, which is set for July 11.
Bittick was at the wheel of a 1987 Nissan Maxima early Saturday, Oct. 21, 2017, when it left Southwest Reservoir Road about 20 miles southwest of Prineville and flipped several times, throwing all five occupants from the car, deputies said.
The crash killed Stephen Leader Bowles, 21, of Madras, and Caleb Williams, 23, of Prineville.
Deputies said at the time it appeared Bittick had lost control while trying to negotiate a corner. None of the five was believed to have been wearing a seat belt, deputies said, adding that alcohol and speed were believed to be factors in the crash.
The jury heard from Oregon State Police forensic scientists about the alcohol and methamphetamine found in Bittick’s system and from a trooper who reconstructed the crash scene, as well as Corinne Hatchell and Alex Shaver, the two passengers who survived the crash but sustained serious injuries.
Bittick also took the stand, telling the jury he and friends had been out celebrating his 37th birthday at the Horseshoe Saloon in Prineville and he didn’t remember anything that occurred after getting in his car.
Earlier this year, the Oregon Liquor Control Commission announced the bar would surrender its liquor license due to 50 incidents since 2015, including fights, assaults and drug deals. The agency noted the bar had served Bittick when he was visibly intoxicated that night, as well as another driver, Chaz Evans, who died in 2015 after fleeing a traffic stop and crashing his pickup into another car.
The Horseshoe Saloon was sold earlier this year to new owners.
