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March 27, 2008
Posted: 12:58 PM ET
WEST PALM BEACH, Florida – The families of victims Linda Taylor, 56, and Cynthia Andrews, 49, have been waiting about a year and a half for this trial. Adam Gaillard, now 36, is charged with killing them when he lost control of his car on a bridge in Palm Beach County, Florida. 
Adam Gaillard is accused of fleeing a fatal accident scene.
 The crime he’s charged with is not vehicular homicide or involuntary manslaughter. He’s charged with failing to stop to render aid or, since aid would be futile in this case, to wait until authorities arrived so he could identify himself and offer what other information police would need. This is what the law requires. Watch a video wrap-up of the trial Gaillard is not disputing that he swerved and lost control, but he says he never saw the women and has no idea that hit anyone. The state maintains he hit Taylor, but Gaillard says he had no idea it happened. So the issue for the jury will be whether Gaillard willfully and deliberately left the scene where he knew or should have known that he injured or killed someone. It was about 6:00 a.m. on Sunday morning, September 24, 2006. Taylor and Andrews were walking on the Blue Heron Boulevard bridge (sometimes called the Singer Island bridge) that morning. It was still dark at about 6:00 a.m. but Taylor and Andrews routinely took early morning walks. Taylor wore a blinking red light on her shirt. The two women properly walked westbound on the eastbound side; in other words, they faced oncoming traffic. Gaillard was driving eastbound over the bridge. He was alone and upset with his girlfriend. Seconds before the crash, he says he threw his cell phone and caught his hand or finger on the steering wheel. He lost control of the SUV and swerved off the road, onto the shoulder and then up the curb. Gaillard sideswiped the bridge’s cement wall and veered back into the travel lane. As he swerved off the road, he struck Taylor, prosecutors say. She had been walking on the shoulder right next to the curb. Taylor was found about 20 feet away. She died at the scene. Andrews had been walking on the sidewalk. She wasn’t struck but she was found 50 feet below the bridge on the beach. She, too, died at the scene. Andrews apparently was forced over the wall, possibly jumping to avoid Gaillard’s oncoming car, prosecutors say. Gaillard allegedly kept driving. Gaillard blew out his two right tires. He had a big scrape on the passenger side of his vehicle. But he also had a dent on his hood. Was the dent caused by the impact with Taylor? If so, one asks, how did he not know that he hit at least one of the women? He has yet to offer an explanation. On the advice of a friend and a lawyer, Gaillard turned himself in later that day and was interviewed by a detective more than 12 hours after the crash. By that time, it was too late to administer a breathalyzer test and no blood sample was voluntarily given, prosecutors say. With no evidence of impairment, there could be no DUI manslaughter charge. Gaillard has always maintained that he was not drinking or using drugs that night. With no evidence of reckless driving (like speeding), there could be no vehicular homicide charge. Gaillard was arrested on October 19, 2006. In addition to the second degree felony charge of leaving the scene of a fatal crash, he was charged with driving with a suspended license. The judge set bail at $50,000. He posted a bond and was released on condition that he not possess or consume alcohol and not use illegal drugs. He was also subjected to random drug tests. Within about a month, Gaillard flunked a drug test. He had cocaine in his system. Bail was revoked. He’s been sitting in a Palm Beach County jail since November 2006 awaiting this trial. – Beth Karas, In Session correspondent Filed under: Beth Karas • Trials |
 
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