The man accused in a fatal hit and run appeared in court Wednesday morning while detectives described the last moments of the victim's life.
Jose Aguilar was charged with criminal homicide in the death of 48-year-old Barry Lafferty.
On Monday, a Metro Police detective described surveillance video that captured the incident.
"As the victim is walking down the street approximately one or two blocks, away from a convenience store, he is assaulted by three other individuals who get out of a pickup truck," said Detective Charles Griffin. "After the fight, he doesn’t appear steady. To the best of my recollection he has to be helped to his feet and it looks like he’s stumbling around."
That's when Aguilar's vehicle could be seen.
"I think it’s obvious the vehicle was not in its proper lane of travel at the time of impact," Griffin said.
Griffin also said it did not appear that Aguilar attempted to brake or swerve to avoid hitting Lafferty. The car was traveling fast enough to leave Lafferty with broken legs, a fractured spine, and a brain bleed.
Aguilar later told police the crash was an accident. He also admitted to drinking 12 beers that night, but it's unclear if he was drunk at the time of the crash.
