Lloyd Is Not Guilty On All Six Counts
Thursday, 02 March 2017 15:43
A Chattooga County Superior Court jury declared 20-year-old Haley Lloyd not guilty of all six counts against her, including vehicular homicide and reckless driving.
Lloyd is not denying that it was her vehicle that struck 4-year-old Lexi Evans on Orchard Hill Road in June 2014.
But at the time of the accident, Lloyd thought she hit a "small animal" with the front of her white 2003 Nissan Altima.
"I just assumed it was a small animal," Lloyd told a panel of jurors in superior court Wednesday.
A panel of six women and six men jurors agreed today that there was not enough evidence to convict her in this tragic accident.
"Since this has happened, your life has been pretty much a mess?" Attorney Albert Palmour asked his client in open court.
"Yes," Lloyd said.
"Did you see her in the road?" Atty. Palmour asked.
"No. I wished that I would have."
"If you would have seen her, would you have stopped to render aid?"
"Without a doubt," Lloyd said among sobs and patting her eyes with tissues.
"As you sit here today, do you have any idea why you did not see the child?" her attorney asked.
"I do not," Lloyd said.
". . . You never saw the child so you don't know where she came from?"
"Right."
However, Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit District Attorney Herbert "Buzz" Franklin believes Lloyd was driving recklessly and most likely was on her cell phone at the time of impact.
Using Lloyd's cell phone records, the district attorney showed the jury several cell phone calls Lloyd made or received around the time of the accident.
Lloyd is committed to helping others by pursuing a nursing degree now that these charges are behind her.