Guilty plea in fatal wreck

Single-car crash killed Newburg volunteer firefighter

Friday, Oct. 9, 2009

Frank Richard Jones told police he drank six or seven beers before leaving a Waldorf saloon with his friend, Christopher James Wright, in the early-morning hours of Dec. 11, a prosecutor said at the hearing in Charles County Circuit Court. When authorities tested Jones following the accident, he had a blood alcohol concentration of .11, said Charles County Assistant State's Attorney Blayne G. Miley. The legal limit in Maryland is .08.

Jones of Emerald Isle, N.C., pleaded guilty to negligent homicide with a motor vehicle for driving under the influence per se, a charge that carries a maximum sentence of five years in jail, a $5,000 fine or both.

Wright's father, Ronnie Wright, said he wishes the law were stricter for driving under the influence and hopes Jones will be sentenced to the full five years.

"[Jones] not only took my son — my only son — he took a brother, a friend of many. I'll never see a grandson by him or my name carried on," said Ronnie Wright, vice president of the Newburg Volunteer Fire Department.

Although the lack of skid marks on the damp road prevented authorities from determining how fast Jones was driving before the crash, Ronnie Wright said the severe damage to his son's Toyota Scion showed the wreck happened at a high speed.

Ronnie Wright went to the accident scene on Bryantown Road near Waldorf after hearing about it from a fellow member of the Newburg fire department. Christopher Wright, 26, of La Plata, who had been ejected in the accident, was already in an ambulance and was pronounced dead on the scene.

"Chris trusted Frank to drive his car, and Frankie was negligent in driving his car," Ronnie Wright said.

Jones called Ronnie Wright two days after the accident, saying he was sorry. Jones said he didn't know his speed prior to the accident. Police arrested Jones on April 10 in North Carolina. His sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 15.

brodgers@somdnews.com