Lisa Marchesoni
Posted: Friday, October 9, 2009 1:09 pm

Former Sheriff's Detective Ron Killings (right) sits with defense attorney Ben Parsley during a pretrial hearing before Circuit Court Judge David Bragg. TMP/M. Willard

A former sheriff’s detective’s speed allegedly was 71 mph two seconds before he struck an 11-year-old girl July 17, 2007 on Bradyville Pike, a prosecutor said Friday.

Tennessee Highway Patrol testing of a computer in former Detective Sgt. Ron Killings’ car showed “his speed was 62.8 mph” when his air bag deployed after striking Lakeisha White, said appointed prosecutor Joe Baugh of Franklin.

Also, Baugh said Killings failed to check the vitals, pulse and breathing of Lakeisha after hitting her but retrieved bottles of alcohol and dumped it.

Attorney Terry Fann, who represents Killings, said trial proof would show the former detective covered her with clothes and called an ambulance.

Comments from both Baugh and Fann occurred during a pretrial hearing before Circuit Court Judge David Bragg, resulting in Bragg continuing the trial scheduled next week for February.

Bragg ruled jurors will not hear evidence about Killings’ treatment of the girl because the prosecution doesn’t have a medical expert to testify she would have survived if he rendered aid.

Regarding the speed, Baugh said he received the THP report about the speed about 4:15 p.m. Thursday and gave a copy to the defense Friday morning. Although the report was past the deadline for evidence, Baugh asked the judge to allow the report as evidence at trial.

Fann said he hadn’t had time to review the report and to talk to experts about it.

Bragg said the report was brought in just days before the trial.

“The court feels the evidence is possibly germane and may be entered at trial,” Bragg said.

Fann said he needed more time to review the report.

Bragg continued the trial until Feb. 8. Fann will give a status report Nov. 20.