OTSELIC – Police investigators appeared in a packed Otselic Town Court room Wednesday evening, five minutes away from where a 12-year-old girl lost her life, to offer testimony that alcohol and drugs may have played a role in the incident.
George Ford Jr., 42, of Piscataway, N.J., has been arrested for first degree reckless endangerment following an investigation by the Chenango County Sheriff’s Office into an incident that left Shyanne A. Somers, 12, South Otselic, dead.
Assistant District Attorney Stephen Dunshee called four witnesses to the stand during the felony hearing while the defense called none.
Lt. James E. Lloyd and Detective Sgt. Richard Cobb of the Chenango County Sheriff’s Office testified at the hearing that Ford admitted consuming some beers and shots of whiskey between noon and 10:30 p.m. at a graduation party the day the accident occurred.
Sgt. Scott Burlison of the Norwich City Police Department, who was the second officer on the scene, testified the defendant’s truck and Ford himself smelled of alcohol; however the officer performed no tests at the time because the incident took place outside of the City PD’s jurisdiction. Burlison is a police officer with over 11 years experience and has been involved in over 300 DWI arrests.
Detective Sgt. Cobb also testified Ford smelled of alcohol and after returning him to the Sheriff’s station, an alcohol breath test was administered in which the defendant did test positive for alcohol, but was not intoxicated. A blood sample was also obtained from Ford, but is still being analyzed. Police investigators also testified that Ford told them he did not drink following the accident.
The last witness called at the hearing was Sheriff’s Deputy Gerald Parry, who briefly testified about carrying out a search of Ford’s truck and discovering a bag of marijuana inside.
The autopsy conducted by Dr. James Terzian stated Somers, in all likelihood, died quickly from the multiple fractures across her body including the skull, sternum, and a number of ribs. Several internal organs suffered massive hemorrhaging. The report also said small traces of THC, the active ingredient of marijuana, were found in the 12-year-old’s system.
Somers, Ford’s baby-sitter and neighbor, died when she was struck by Ford’s three quarter ton, 2004 Ford extended-cab pickup truck while turning around on Will Warner Road in Otselic in what police are calling a “reckless manner.”
The investigation revealed Ford returned home Saturday evening at around 10:30 p.m., to change clothes. Ford planned on returning to a graduation party he’d been attending all afternoon where his wife and young child still were, but wanted to bring his child home for bed. Before leaving his home, he asked his neighbors, the mother of the victim first and then the daughter, if they could babysit for him as they had done in the past. The young girl agreed and went back with Ford.
Ford’s wife unexpectedly returned home in a separate vehicle with their child and decided she wanted to stay. Ford then allegedly decided to take Somers back home from his seasonal residence on Rt. 26 in South Otselic at approximately 11:30 p.m.
On the way to take Somers home, Ford stopped along Will Warner Road to allow the girl to visit his horses. Somers allegedly got out of the truck to see the horses and walked along the road with the truck running next to her. After a short time of looking and unable to see any of the animals, Ford said he drove up the road to turn around and got stuck. The road is narrow and consisted of gravel and dirt. During the course of these maneuvers, he struck and killed the girl with his front driver’s side bumper and tire.
Police testified the defendant acknowledge himself to be an “ aggressive, crazy driver who liked to peel out and rev his engine.”
While the alleged accident took place Saturday night around midnight, the victim wasn’t transported to the hospital until five hours later at 5 a.m. Sunday.
“He said he was unable to get the victim in his vehicle because of her physical condition. He was too upset to move or touch the body because of the severity of the injuries,” testified Lloyd. Ford also claims he got lost while driving the victim to the hospital. The drive from the area of the accident to Chenango Memorial Hospital, where Ford eventually took the body around 4:55 a.m., is roughly a 45 minute plus drive.
Police said a few differences in the account raised their concern, such as the girl actually being killed nearly 50 yards up a steep hill from the horse fence. Also no phone calls had been placed even though Ford’s residence was close by and has a working telephone. Both the defendant and the girl were barefoot.
No evidence of sexual abuse has been found, and in a statement yesterday the sheriff announced that there were no indications of such acts, but examinations were still continuing.
The court ruled in favor of the prosecution and Otselic Town Justice Hugh Comfort ordered Ford to be remanded to the Chenango County Jail in lieu of $100,000 bail. The case will now go before a Chenango County grand jury, and then if indicted, to Chenango County Court. If convicted Ford, could face up to seven years in prison. Assistant District Attorney Dunshee said more charges were likely and a homicide charge was still a possibility.