A Mount Airy man was charged with negligent homicide by Howard County police this week after a single-vehicle collision in December 2014 that left one man dead and three others injured.
Karl Joseph Tomanek, 29, of the 1100 block of Shaffersville Road, was indicted this week by a grand jury. Tomanek was also charged with driving under the influence, reckless driving and other charges.
Just before midnight Dec. 12, investigators went to Shaffersville Road in Mount Airy for a report that a pickup truck had struck a tree. Investigators believed Tomanek was driving the Ford F-350 that crossed over the center of the roadway, traveled into a ditch and hit a tree.
The crash killed the front-seat passenger, James Nicholas Dejordy, 26, of Trotter Road in Clarksville.
According to police, further investigation revealed the occupants were not wearing seatbelts and were ejected in the crash. At the time, officers were unsure who was driving the truck.
After detailed investigation and evidence collection, police determined that Tomanek was the driver.
The other occupants were taken to the Shock Trauma Center and later released.
After a grand jury's indictment, Tomanek was arrested May 11. After his bond review the following day, Tomanek was released on $50,000 bond.