A man accused of deliberately driving his car toward another man, striking and killing him in Daytona Beach, was convicted Thursday of second-degree murder and will face up to life in prison when he is sentenced.
Anthony Adum, 42, was charged with first-degree murder, but the jury returned a guilty verdict on the lesser charge, which is punishable by up to life in prison as opposed to the mandatory life sentence for first-degree murder. Jurors also found Adum guilty of leaving the scene of a crash with death, DUI manslaughter and vehicular homicide.
Christopher Watson was killed in the crash. He had been sitting by the southeast corner of International Speedway Boulevard and Nova Road by the Amscot store on the night of March 21, 2021.
Adum, who said he was living in an abandoned house in Daytona Beach, had been drinking alcohol and doing drugs that day. Adum was driving around town with two people, a man and a woman, whom he offered to pay to help him clean the abandoned house.
He pulled into the Krispy Kreme at the corner of International Speedway Boulevard and Nova Road, and the passengers had exited the vehicle. Adum left the parking lot and drove in a circle in the intersection of Nova Road and International Speedway Boulevard, avoiding passing traffic. He made a second circle and leaped out of the car, which continued down the crosswalk and smashed into Watson and a traffic box.
The car nearly hit a second man who was out for his daily walk.
Adum, who had 10 prior felonies, took the stand and testified that he had never met Watson and had not meant to hit him. Adum said he never saw Watson sitting there and said he was sorry Watson was killed.
A Daytona Beach Police officer who had already spotted Adum’s erratic driving arrived on scene right after the crash. He chased after Adum, who took off running but stopped across the street.
Assistant State Attorney Mark Interlicchio told jurors in his closing argument that Adum intentionally drove the car at Watson. He said that the car’s headlights were pointing at Watson and that Adum must have seen him.
Interlicchio also said that while Adum claimed he had vision problems, neither of the drivers’ licenses issued to him in Texas and Michigan required him to wear glasses for driving.
“He was intending to hit what was in front of him. He is steering the car. He launched his automobile deliberately and intentionally at Mr. Watson,” Interlicchio said.
Interlicchio also argued that Adum would have gotten away had not the police officer driven up and chased him.
Adum’s defense attorney, Michael Nielsen, in his closing argument, said the crash was a tragic accident.
“This is not first degree-premeditated murder. It’s not murder of any kind. It’s horrible, stupid driving that resulted in the death of Mr. Watson,” Nielsen said.
He said Adum had been using heroin and smoking crack earlier in the day. He said Adum was acting paranoid according to testimony from one of the passengers in his car.
He said Adum liked to do stunts with vehicles.
“It was a stupid decision that went horribly wrong,” Nielsen said.
Nielsen also argued that Adum didn’t flee the scene and gave up within the same intersection.
Adum was confused when the police car drove up.
“He is not sure what’s going on. He gets scared, so he runs,” Nielsen said.
But he stops when he realizes what’s happening and gets down on the ground.
Nielsen said Adum never saw Watson and there was no evidence otherwise.
He said Adum thought himself a great race car driver or motorcycle stunt rider.
Said Nielsen: “This is a horrible, tragic accident brought on by decades of drug use by a person who thinks he is Mario Andretti or Evel Knievel.
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Source: news-journalonline
