A jury has found a Lynchburg man guilty of involuntary manslaughter, hit and run, and DUI in a wreck that killed a pedestrian on 12th Street last year. Police say 48-year-old QUINTIAL LOUWELL SPINNER was intoxicated and driving 50 miles per hour on a suspended license when he hit the woman as she crossed 12th street. Spinner initially left the scene but then returned and told police he had witnessed the accident. Spinner’s sentencing is in February.
Here is the entire news release from Lynchburg Commonwealth’s Attorney Bethany Harrison:
PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
November 22, 2021
QUINTIAL LOUWELL SPINNER FOUND GUILTY OF INVOLUNTARY
MANSLAUGHTER, HIT & RUN, AND DUI BY LYNCHBURG JURY
On November 22, 2021 and after a 2-day jury trial, 48-year-old Quintial Louwell Spinner
was found guilty of Involuntary Manslaughter, Hit and Run, and Driving Under the Influence of
Alcohol.
Spinner was charged with these offenses from the events of November 14, 2020 where
close to 8 p.m. he hit a 23-year-old pedestrian who attempted to cross 12th Street near the
intersection with Taylor Street. Spinner drove away from the scene of the collision and, after
turning right on either Wise Street or Floyd Street then back up 11th Street, parked near 1004 Taylor
Street. He smoked a cigarette then walked back to the scene of the collision where the pedestrian
laid in the street unconscious and was attended to by medics with the Lynchburg Fire Department.
Spinner told police he did not return to the scene until 5 to 10 minutes after the collision. The
victim was later pronounced dead at the hospital.
Spinner initially told police he witnesses the accident. Only after police questioned him
did he reveal he was the driver of a gold Ford Taurus that hit the pedestrian. Spinner was asked to
perform field sobriety tests then was arrested on suspicion of DUI. Three hours and fifty minutes
after the collision, Spinner’s blood alcohol content was 0.05%. The arresting officer obtained a
search warrant for Spinner’s blood that was executed 4 hours and 40 minutes after the wreck that
demonstrated a blood alcohol content of 0.038%. A forensic toxicologist with the VA Department
of Forensic Science testified that, using a process call reverse extrapolation, she estimated
Spinner’s blood alcohol content at the time of the wreck to be between 0.08% and 0.13%.
Surveillance footage from the Justis Market recorded the event. The footage was played
for the jurors which showed the victim pedestrian walk across one lane of 12th Street before
crossing the double yellow lines. Just as she crossed the double yellow lines a sedan appeared in
the footage, hit the pedestrian, flung her into the air where she landed several feet away and slid
further down 12th Street. Using a speed test performed by the Lynchburg Police Department, the
prosecutor estimated the defendant traveled 50 miles per hour at the time he hit the pedestrian.
The gold Ford Taurus was located on Taylor Street with a large spider web, indented shatter
pattern on the driver’s side windshield, a broken front driver’s head lamp, and a missing driver’s
side view mirror. The missing side view mirror as well as glass consistent with the broken head
lamp were located at the scene of the collision several feet away from the victim.
Spinner’s sentencing is set for February 2, 2022 and will include sentencing for a charge
of driving on a suspended license from the same events. Involuntary Manslaughter and Hit and
Run carry a sentence of 1 to 10 years each. The misdemeanor charges of DUI and driving on a
suspended license carry a sentence of up to 12 months in jail and a $2500 fine.
This case was prosecuted by Commonwealth’s Attorney Bethany Harrison. The defense
attorney for Quintial Spinner was Ronnie West.