Rocky Fights for Stiffer Penalties for Man Killed by Nashville Hit and Run Driver
On Valentine’s Day in 2018, Curtis Kevan was killed in a deadly hit and run while riding along Gallatin Pike on his motorcycle. An innocent man was taken out of this world and a family changed forever. The men responsible for the wreck, fled the scene, but were caught a month later. Leon Duke, Leonard Henderson, and Russell Duke, then admitted their roles in the deadly crash and their attempt to cover it up but have received only 3-4 years of probation, no jail time. Debra Kevan, Curtis’s widow and her attorneys, Rocky McElhaney and Michael Fisher spoke to News Channel 4 yesterday about the utter miscarriage of justice that has transpired since her husband’s death.
“These individuals ran over a hardworking man on his way home, left him for dead in the middle of the road and ran from the scene. When they were finally apprehended, they lied to police in their initial statements. We have evidence that they were buying parts to fix the truck after the accident. We have information that suggests that prior to the crash, they had left a bar and were allegedly intoxicated and had been smoking illegal substances. These individuals had no insurance to cover the crash. They’re going to serve no criminal penalty. There’s just no justice for this family. This man dies and basically, the hit-and-run drivers get off scot-free. We just feel like the DA’s office really let this family down.” Said Rocky McElhaney to WSMV.
Tennessee is ranked number 11 out of 50 states for the highest number of hit-and-run crashes, and that number is on the rise.
“In our experience, people who run from the scene of crashes are either high or drunk, and usually do not have auto insurance. And when they end up with just a little bit of punishment versus going to jail for vehicular homicide, it sends a terrible message to others. If we don’t stop this, more people are going to it, we’ll have more repeat offenders, more people are going to consider running an option because the penalties are minimal. The DA’s office has the power to put a halt to this trend. We need law enforcement and our District Attorneys to take a stand against this type of crime. Penalties for leaving the scene of an accident, especially one involving injuries and death need to be much higher than probation.”
So what can you do about it?
We want the community to know what’s going on and how unfortunate and sad this situation really is. Our client, the widow could be anyone. This could be you or your family member next time if we don’t set a better example of the consequences of leaving the scene of a wreck.
“We’d like to see some public outcry about this,” McElhaney says, “If the community could rally behind the widow and make phone calls to the DA’s office maybe we could cause enough stir to make a difference for our families and our communities.”
We urge you to call your Nashville’s District Attorney-Criminal Division at: (615) 862-5500 and ask them to take a stand for hit and run victims like Curtis Kevan and his wife, by raising the penalties for drivers who leave the scene of a crash.
We fight for justice for injury victims. In fact, it’s all we do. That’s how our clients know that our team of experienced, no non-sense attorneys are working hard for their best interests. We don’t back down because the battle is big, or the fight is tough. In the process of doing right by injury victims over the past 13 years, we have created public awareness around important issues, changed laws for the better, improved the justice system, evened the playing field against big insurance companies for injured persons, and changed a lot of lives. We’re proud of what we do and thankful for the trust of the folks to who’ve come to our firm for help.
If you or a loved one has been injured because of a person or businesses’ negligence, we’re here to help. Call the Rocky McElhaney Law Firm today with questions or for a free consultation at 615-425-2500 or use our contact form to schedule an appointment. We have offices in Nashville and Hendersonville.