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Records show that Christopher Thompson drove his patrol car through a stop sign and struck another vehicle two months ago.
By CARRIE JOHNSON
© St. Petersburg Times, published July 14, 2001
CRYSTAL RIVER -- Christopher Thompson, the Crystal River police officer who struck and killed a pedestrian while driving to work Tuesday night, received a ticket in May when he drove his patrol car through a stop sign and struck another vehicle, according to records and interviews.
The disclosure wasn't helpful for Thompson, whose long history of traffic offenses has become well known in the wake of the fatal wreck.
But the officer did receive some good news Friday: A witness provided a sworn statement saying he saw a man walking in the middle of the road Tuesday night shortly before the fatal collision occurred.
Thompson was driving to work on County Road 488 Tuesday night when he struck Randy G. Leathers, 18. Citrus County sheriff's investigators have reported that Leathers was walking in the middle of the road.
Leathers was declared dead at the scene, 11/2 miles east of County Road 495. It's not known whether Leathers was the man the witness saw.
No charges have been filed against Thompson. The Sheriff's Office is investigating, and a report is expected Monday, said spokeswoman Ronda Hemminger Evan.
Reporters checking Thompson's personnel file after the wreck found the officer has received 15 traffic tickets since 1993. The violations ranged from speeding to failing to obey traffic signs to one charge of reckless driving.
He has also been cited for two previous car wrecks and his driver's license has been suspended twice.
Thompson refused to comment Friday. But Assistant Chief Gordon Rowland confirmed Friday that Thompson, 25, was cited for the on-duty wreck that occurred May 18.
Rowland, reading from an accident report prepared by the Florida Highway Patrol, said Thompson was driving north in his patrol car on NE Third Avenue when he ran the stop sign at Crystal Street and struck a 1994 Pontiac.
Thompson told troopers he was attempting to catch a speeding car at the time of the 4:50 p.m. wreck. He had not turned on his emergency lights or sirens.
"He just wasn't paying attention," Rowland said.
No injuries were reported, but there was $2,500 in damage to the Pontiac and $1,500 to the patrol car, Rowland said.
Thompson, who has been with the force since Jan. 4, was given a ticket for failing to obey a stop sign, Rowland said. The matter was investigated internally by the department, but there was no mention of it in Thompson's personnel file. That's because Thompson was given an oral reprimand by his supervisor, which is not noted in the file, Rowland said.
Rowland said he was not aware of Thompson's driving record when he approved the disciplinary action. He said the punishment might have been different if he had known Thompson's history.
"We certainly would have discussed it more," he said.
Police Chief Jim Farley said he knew about Thompson's accident but didn't consider it to be a big deal.
"It's not uncommon," Farley said of the crash. "If you're out driving eight hours a day, you're going to have some fender-benders."
He said an oral reprimand was a suitable punishment for the offense, similar to what any officer would have received in the same situation. Farley said it would have been inappropriate to give Thompson a stricter punishment because of his previous offenses.
"That driving record is something he did before he was hired," Farley said."You can't punish him for something he did before he was a cop."
Thompson is currently on sick leave from the department. Farley said he won't make any decisions regarding discipline until after the investigation by the Sheriff's Office is complete.
The witness' sworn statement certainly will play a part in that investigation.
The witness, whom Farley declined to identify, wrote that he or she was driving about 10:10 p.m. on CR 488 and saw a young man dressed in black walking "right in the middle of" the highway.
The witness driver said he had to swerve to avoid hitting the pedestrian.
Thompson struck Leathers just minutes later.