A Lexington man appeared in court this morning on charges of murder and driving under the influence of alcohol after a fatal wreck in Clark County last week.
Richard A. Parsons, 49, of 8950 Old Richmond Road was charged Friday after officers from the Clark County Sheriff's Office learned that he was the driver of a vehicle that fell down a 70-foot embankment on Athens-Boonesboro Road near the Hall's on the River restaurant. The passenger in Parsons' vehicle was dead when officers arrived. Clark County Coroner David Jacobs is not releasing the name of the passenger because he has not yet been able to notify the man's relatives.
The report cites speeding and alcohol as factors in the wreck. The speed limit at the accident site is 55 miles per hour, and the report estimates that Parsons was traveling between 50 and 60 miles per hour.
According to a police report, Parsons' vehicle was traveling west at 6:05 p.m. when he lost control of the vehicle and steered too hard, causing it to veer off the roadway. The 1992 Honda Civic then went over an embankment and struck a tree. Officers were on the scene until about 11 p.m.
