March 14--BLOOMINGTON -- A jury deliberated about two hours Thursday before going home in the reckless-homicide trial of a driver accused of letting his semitrailer truck slam into several emergency vehicles, killing Hudson firefighter Chris Brown.
Associate Judge Casey Costigan ruled that the jury may consider reckless-driving charges against Mansur Shakirov as an alternative to the more serious reckless-homicide charge. That decision came after arguments from defense lawyer Chris Gramm that case law supports such an option.
In closing arguments Thursday, Assistant State's Attorney Joshua Rinker reminded jurors of the distressing stories firefighters shared during testimony of the seconds they had to prepare for the gigantic truck's approach. Other drivers slowed down and moved over for the emergency vehicles that were responding to an accident involving a semi and a truck on March 5, 2013, on an icy stretch of Interstate 39 near Hudson.
Defense lawyer Chris Gramm emphasized that state calculations showed Shakirov was traveling about 37 mph when the crash occurred. During arguments seeking a dismissal of charges Thursday, Gramm said, "This is an accident."
Earlier Thursday, jurors watched footage from a state police squad car camera that captured the final seconds before the semi slammed into a line of emergency vehicles, including the one that brought Brown, a Bloomington firefighter who was working as a volunteer for the Hudson department, to the accident scene.
State Trooper Chris Parmley, who was driving the car that recorded the accident scene, told the jury what he saw as the truck approached.
"It looked like the Titanic coming through the accident scene," said Parmley.
The video shows several firefighters running from the highway as the semi hauling two enclosed, car-carrier trailers got closer. The semi hit a Hudson command vehicle parked along the passing lane of southbound Interstate 39. Brown was standing near the vehicle and, according to medical testimony, suffered fatal injuries at the scene when he was struck by the semi.
Parmley explained the challenges he and other first responders faced as they assessed injuries to several firefighters, damage to their vehicles and their duty to protect an accident scene from oncoming traffic.
"It was a disaster after the crash, extremely dark," Parmley said of the area. He said he waved his flashlight in the air to warn oncoming drivers.
The state trooper said he had a brief conversation with Shakirov after the accident in which he asked him one question.
"I asked him, 'Do you know how fast you were going?' He said, 'Not more than 50 mph,'" the trooper told the jury.
When Shakirov stepped out of his truck, he walked around the vehicle to check for damage, said Parmley, and did not inquire about possible victims.
The jury will return at 9 a.m. to resume deliberations.
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