Man facing manslaughter charge in pedestrian death

A manslaughter charge has been filed against a driver involved in the death of an elderly pedestrian at Walmart last month, the Mount Airy Police Department announced Wednesday.

Jerry Lee Speaks, 66, of 312 Greentown Road, is accused of involuntary manslaughter in the March 31 incident along with careless and reckless driving.

Speaks is further charged with an unsafe movement violation and having no liability insurance stemming from the fatality involving Bonnie Jean Smith Hennings, 86, of East Bend in Yadkin County.

City police say the woman was struck by a vehicle operated by Speaks in the Walmart parking lot about 6 p.m. on March 31.

The collision occurred in an area in front of the grocery store entrance, a busy location where motorists do not always yield to pedestrians despite a marked crosswalk at that location.

Hennings, a great-grandmother who was an active community volunteer, was airlifted to Atrium Health Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, where she died from her injuries on April 1.

No charges initially were issued against Speaks, with the incident remaining under investigation for more than three weeks.

Police Chief Dale Watson had advised earlier this week that the inquiry had been complete and city police were awaiting a consultation with the Surry County District Attorney’s Office to determine if any charges would be issued.

This culminated with the manslaughter and other charges against Speaks being announced Wednesday.

There was no record then of Speaks being held in the Surry County Jail, along with any bond information or court date.

The fatality involving Hennings came less than four months after another incident in the Walmart parking lot in which a Mount Airy woman allegedly struck four pedestrians with a vehicle and then fled the scene.

At least one of those victims was seriously injured.

At last report, Vilma Elizabeth Huerta, 19, of 164 Oleander Lane, was awaiting trial in that case on four counts each of attempted first-degree murder and assault with a deadly weapon, with intent to kill, along with two counts of felony hit and run involving injury.