CHARLES CITY – A Charles City woman is no longer facing two counts of involuntary manslaughter in connection with a fatal accident near Nora Springs this past May that took a man’s life.
Both counts of involuntary manslaughter – as well as any court costs – were dismissed against Stephanie Mercer, age 23 of Charles City, on Friday, September 19. Mercer was later ticketed for failure to stop in an assured clear distance. That ticket was dismissed on May 30th.
Additionally, Mercer was never photographed at the Floyd county jail.
“No there was no picture cause she went right to court,” Floyd County Sheriff Rick Lynch told NIT.
Mercer was eastbound on Highway 18 on May 21st east of Nora Springs, driving a 2003 GMC Envoy when 66-year-old David Crowe’s 1992 Harley-Davidson motorcycle slowed in front of her to make a right turn on Dancer Avenue. Crowe was struck by Mercer’s vehicle, throwing him from his motorcycle and leaving him dead. Mercer was not hurt.
Court records show that a lawsuit has been filed by David Crowe’s wife – Nancy Crowe – against Mercer on August 12, 2014.
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If they have found there was not enough evidence to prosecute then I would say that is good enough for me. I am willing to bet they come back with a lessor charge such as failure to reduce speed to avoid a accident. This is what happens when law enforcement decides they are going to be cop, judge and jury and throw everything in the book at someone. Let it go.
The only marks on that pavement( I go by there daily) are from Dave’s bike where she slammed into him and pushed his bike so hard it was imbedded in the front of her grill! God says…… THOU SHALT NOT KILL…. He doesn’t say it’s ok if it’s an accident or on purpose there is no exception!!! THOU SHALT NOT KILL! Period! She should pay the price!! And I don’t mean a little bitty fine, and a slap on the wrist, and free to go about her life as if nothing happened! Prison period.
It is unfortunate that this man died and my thoughts and prayers go out to his family. However, my prayers also go out to the woman driving the car that hit him and her family. You must be absolutely insane if you believe she will not be affected by this event and that she will not carry it with her for the rest of her life. It was an accident. No one was there but her and the victim. Do not surmise that you know what happened that day, and what she was or wasn’t doing. Stop judging.
The accident report shows she was not on her phone at the time of the accident. The police checked her phone. She was also neither under the influence of alcohol or drugs. There was no malicious intent involved. She did not plan it. She did not go out that day and say to herself, I plan to hit someone. She is a human being with feelings and must be dealing with a great deal of guilt and depression herself. What happened to being a Christian and God’s law that we need to forgive.
This could happen to any of you. I feel for the Crowe family, but when will everyone allow all parties to begin healing and forgiveness to start? Will you all go to the gates of heaven bitter and angry about this? Are you not just as guilty of judging when it is not your place to do so? God is the only judge. Shame on you. Please let everyone heal and move ahead with their lives. The law provided for the correct punishment for this charge.
The driver is suffering immensely and until you walk a mile in her shoes, you are not allowed to surmise that she will go on with her life as if nothing ever happened. She is a good person and I am sure she would change it all if she could. She comes from a wonderful family who would do anything for anyone. They have been harassed with slanderous remarks on social media and horrible phone calls for months. It’s time for it to stop. Please have compassion & pray for all parties involved.
Thou shalt not kill translated from the original Greek means thou shalt not commit murder, if it was literal then the military and police will all go to hell as well as most of Israel. After giving Moses the 10 commandments God had Israel going to war almost constantly so if it was literal then he was committing his people to hell and I doubt he was doing that.
I just don’t know how she can live with the fact she took someone’s life away from their family. How can a judge be fooled? Or paid off!! Something’s definately amiss here. Now all she will get is a fine a and walk free in her life she can hug her husband and children and laugh with her friends BUT Dave’s wife, kids and grand kids can’t hug him anymore! Can’t laugh with his friends! How can anyone say she’s not guilty? No skid marks on the road where she ” supposedly ” slammed on her…
I’ve commented on other vehicular homicide cases, and it’s still of my belief that if you cause the death of someone with your vehicle, you need to pay the price uniformly with no regards to your status, family background, criminal record etc. What ends up happening is those killers who have “squeaky clean” backgrounds are forgiven and let off…whereas more troubled people pay the price. Good kid, bad kid sort of thing. Death is death…and cares not who caused it.
Accidents to no fault of the driver are forgivable, but negligence resulting in someone’s death by carelessness, incompetence, or inattention need to pay the price. Some codes of justice would require the person causing the death to sacrifice their own life. Young people, and many older people as well, just don’t seem to understand their vehicles and the physics of travelling bodies of mass through space. They are too comfortable and think cars are like mini houses…impermeable.
Hopefully there is a logical reason for this decision, other then that, are you shittin me.
A drunk driver gets charged for killing someone! WHY DOESNT SHE.??? She took a life! A husband a father a grandfather and a friend to many! I hope the image of Dave Crowe slamming into her truck and windshield is burned into her BRAIN FOREVER,!!!! May her negligence of not watching the road haunt her. Knowing what she did!
The accident report shows all the details of what happened that day. If you have any questions, you should buy a copy of it. It might answer many questions you have. The driver did not see a turn signal on the motorcycle, nor brake lights. Could it be that unfortunately, Mr. Crowe was traveling along enjoying the beautiful day and suddenly realized his turn was upon him and put his brakes on with little or no notice to the driver behind him?