Related Content
Press Release
Press Release
WASHINGTON – Noel Warner, 28, of Washington, D.C., has pled guilty to charges in an incident in which he fled from police by driving more than 100 mph before hitting another vehicle and injuring its driver, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced today.
Warner pled guilty on July 30, 2013, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to charges of aggravated assault, fleeing a law enforcement officer, and unlawful possession with the intent to distribute marijuana. The Honorable Rhonda Reid Winston scheduled sentencing for Oct. 1, 2013.
According to the government’s evidence, just before midnight on June 4, 2013, a U.S. Park Police Officer observed a silver Honda Accord with dark-tinted windows traveling about 45 mph in a 25 mph zone. The officer, driving a marked police vehicle, activated his emergency equipment. Warner, however, accelerated about a quarter-mile before striking an oncoming sedan in the 1300 block of Southern Avenue SE. The driver of the sedan, on his way home from work, was taken to a hospital after suffering a broken arm and injuries to his head and legs.
Warner’s car, which was equipped with a speedometer that would lock on impact, displayed a speed at impact of 85 mph, 60 mph over the posted speed limit. A further review of the black box of the engine revealed that the top speed of the car in the moments before impact was 104 mph - 79 mph over the posted speed limit. Officers found marijuana in Warner’s car, along with a drug grinder, $100 in fraudulent U.S. currency, and open bottles of alcohol.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Machen commended the work of the U.S. Park Police, as well as the Metropolitan Police Department’s Major Crash Unit, which investigated the case. He also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Lynette Briggs and Todd McClelland and Investigative Analyst Sharon Johnson. Finally, he expressed appreciation for the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip Selden, of the Felony Major Crimes Section, who is prosecuting the matter.
13-272