Feb 20, 2008 9:03 pm US/Eastern
Driver's License Suspended Before Street Race
ACCOKEEK, Md. (WJZ/AP) ―
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Darren Bullock, of Waldorf drove his Ford Crown Victoria into a crowd gathered to watch an illegal street race, killing eight people.
A 20-year-old man who drove his Ford Crown Victoria into a crowd gathered to watch an illegal street race, killing eight people, was driving with a suspended license, according to a law enforcement official.
Darren Bullock, of Waldorf, had his license suspended in late January, according to the law enforcement official, who has knowledge of his driving record.
The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation of last Saturday's crash is ongoing.
Bullock's license remained suspended at the time of the early morning accident, said the official.
It remains unclear why it was suspended.
Bullock was cited in May for driving on a suspended license after he was pulled over near his home.
He is scheduled to go on trial next month in Charles County District Court for that infraction and a citation for driving with an unrestrained child in the car.
A woman who answered the phone at Bullock's home said she would not have any comment on the license issue.
Bullock's family is consulting with a lawyer and expects to release a statement later this week.
He has not been charged in the incident.
News that the license was suspended at the time of the crash was first reported Wednesday.
Bullock was driving his brother home from band practice before 4 a.m. when he came upon the crowd standing on Route 210, according to his uncle, James Walls.
He braked, Walls said, but was not able to avoid the bystanders who had spilled into the road to watch two racing cars speed off.
The Crown Victoria swerved off the road, but Bullock and his brother were not seriously injured.
Prince George's County Police have not yet found the drivers of the cars involved in the race, Cpl. Diane Richardson said.
Killed in the accident were Otis Williams, 35, of Indian Head; Milton Pinkney, 41, of La Plata; Mark Courtney, 33, of Leonardtown; Daryl Wills, 38, of Clinton; Maycol Lopez, 20, of Gaithersburg; Blaine Briscoe, 49, of La Plata; William Gaines, 61, of Nanjemoy; and Ervin Gardner, 39, of Oxon Hill.
Kai Jackson reports about 50 people trickled in for an informal vigil Wednesday night at the crash site despite the fact that snow had fallen all afternoon.
In the grassy area next to the road where some of the victims were found lay wilted flowers, lit candles and a large stuffed animal.
Some of those who came were family members. Others were people who had known the victims through the local street racing circuit.
Many said they felt that Bullock should face some penalty because of the horrific nature of the crash.
"Somebody's got to pay," said Courtney's brother, Wayne. "He's got to pay for what he's done. He's taken life."
(© 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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