A Charlotte man driving over 100 mph never tapped the brakes in 2022 when his car collided with an SUV on South Carolina’s Interstate 77, killing a 7-year-old boy and injuring his father, authorities said in court Monday.
Jason Connell Palmer, 37, is on trial in Chester County on counts of reckless homicide, high-level assault and battery, and possession of crack cocaine and marijuana. He could face up to 30 years in jail if convicted of reckless homicide and assault.
The trial began Monday. Palmer has pleaded not guilty.
Max Shanks of Matthews, North Carolina, perished in a crash on July 10, 2022, when his family’s SUV collided with trees. His father, Corey, sustained catastrophic brain damage, according to prosecutor Candice Lively. Max’s mother, Jessica Shanks, was driving the SUV, and his younger brother was also in it.
The police investigation revealed that Palmer was driving a van at 98 mph at the time of the crash, Lively told jurors in her opening remarks. The Shanks were on their way back to North Carolina when the incident occurred on I-77 North at 5 p.m. on a Sunday. The crash occurred south of Rock Hill, where the speed limit is 70 MPH.
Palmer drove “like a storm that was going to take out anything in his path,” according to Lively. “Is it reasonable to drive at 98 miles per hour? “Certainly not.”
Palmer has been in custody without bail since his arrest following the tragedy.
Initially, South Carolina Highway Patrol troopers charged him with felony DUI. However, subsequent lab findings revealed that he was not under the influence, according to Palmer’s lawyer, public defender William Frick, who spoke in court Monday.
Frick told the jury in opening statements that officers rushed to “knee-jerk” judgment in the case and determined Palmer was at fault for the incident. Max Shanks’ death was “a tragedy,” but drivers on I-77 speed all the time, according to Frick.
According to Frick, the trial evidence will prove that Palmer was not the “proximate cause” of the crash.
Several witnesses testified Monday afternoon, claiming they observed the crash or contacted 911. The trial resumes on Tuesday and might take many days.