DWI case update
Updating the story of Michael Charles Parks, the allegedly drunken driver who ran a van off South Lindell Road and struck and seriously injured a 12-year-old boy.
The good news is that, after a stay at Brenner Children's Hospital, Drew Gardner is recovering at home. Here's his blog (written by mom, Megan).
Parks also seems to be home.
After the incident, which occurred Nov. 11, Parks was taken to the hospital for treatment of injuries. He was charged with DWI and driving while license revoked on that day but not taken into custody. Nor was an order for arrest, that had been issued back in July in connection with another case, served. Court records showed he had not completed required community service for a 2007 hit-and-run and failed to appear in court. Hence the order for arrest, which police didn't get around to serving for four months.
After Parks left the hospital, police weren't able to locate him for a while. They did seize and impound his 1995 Chevy van, however.
Except it wasn't actually his van. The owner was listed as Timothy Patrick Murphy of Farmington Drive in Greensboro.
This was obviously a bad turn of events for Murphy, and on Nov. 19 he swore out a warrant for Parks' arrest, charging him with taking and operating the van without the owner's permission. On this warrant, Murphy listed his address as 3803 Parkwood Drive, the same as Parks'.
On Nov. 25, as we reported, Parks turned himself in to police and was charged with aggravated felony serious injury by vehicle, in addition to the previous charges. He also was served with Murphy's warrant and with the July order for arrest.
Despite all that, magistrate J.W. Lung set a low cash bond of $1,500, which was posted by Michael L. Parks of Oak Island, N.C. As far as I can tell, Michael C. Parks has not spent a night in jail as a result of this incident, yet. That certainly will change if he is convicted of all charges, but no trial date has been set.
I've got a call in to Murphy to see if he's gotten his van back. He may be another innocent victim of Parks' recklessness, after Drew and his family, if he did not allow Parks to take it.
I hope Parks does not have access to, or the urge to drive, any other vehicle.
Comments (3)
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Good grief! What is it going to take to get this guy off the road and in jail?
A $1,500 bond is typically the level set for non-violent misdemeanors, not a felony that nearly killed an innocent bystander. Michael Parks is clearly a danger to the community, yet the legal system has done little to protect us from him.
Thank you for bulldogging this story, Doug. Please stay on top of it - this is the kind of thing that needs to be in the public eye.
Posted on December 4, 2008 4:24 PM
And you wonder why Greensboro is ranked so high with our Crime Rate? The News & Record has done wonders with the Most Wanted List, time to turn it up a little more.
Posted on December 4, 2008 4:31 PM
Contrast to the Tolly Carr case. Granted, he killed someone, but killing or not killing someone is purely a matter of chance when someone is recklessly driving out of control. Carr went to jail immediately and stayed there until his trial, then was sentenced to a term in prison. That was in Forsyth County. Things seem to be different here in Guilford.
I don't know why at the very least Parks has not been jailed for the 30 days suspended he got in a hit-and-run last year since he didn't comply with the terms of his probation.
Posted on December 4, 2008 4:39 PM