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The 23-year-old driver in a fatal car crash on Kellogg has been charged with second-degree murder in the death of his passenger, the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office said Thursday.
Robert L. Blessman is charged in the death of 27-year-old Jerodd H. Moffett, who was killed June 29 in a one-car accident in the eastbound lanes of Kellogg near downtown. Police say Blessman was driving at speeds as high as 90 mph and weaving through traffic when he struck the concrete dividing wall, forcing the car to roll over.
Moffett, who was not wearing a seat belt, was ejected from the 2005 Scion, police say. The car landed on Moffett, killing him instantly.
The murder charge carries an alternative of involuntary manslaughter while driving under the influence, DA spokeswoman Georgia Cole said. Blessman also faces one charge each of driving on a suspended license and failure to produce proof of insurance in connection with the accident, she said.
Blessman was booked in Sedgwick County Jail on June 30 after he was treated for injuries at Wesley Medical Center following the crash. He is currently being held on $100,000 bond on the involuntary manslaughter charge, jail records showed Thursday afternoon.
His preliminary hearing is set for July 19.
Blessman already was scheduled to appear in municipal court later this month on charges of speeding, driving under the influence and refusing a preliminary breath test related to another incident, according to court records.
