PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) – The man accused of killing a family of three during a hit-and-run appeared in court Friday afternoon.
News Channel 8 captured the moment the family of the victims gave a statement and witnessed the 22-year-old man accused of killing the family crying in court.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, the crash happened on Feb. 1 on US-19. Troopers say Tanner Hackman, 22, was driving in a 2013 Buick Lacrosse on US-19 just after 11:30 p.m. when he ran a red light and struck a vehicle turning left from Tampa Road.
FHP said Hackman and a passenger in the vehicle that ran the red light took off on foot after the crash, leaving the other vehicle behind.
Friday in court, Hackman’s attorney asked the judge to consider lowering the bond amount for his client. The attorney said because Hackman lived with his parents and had no assets it’s really the parents who were being financially punished. The judge denied the request and the bond for Hackman remains at $600,000.
The crash killed Bruce E. Johnson, 65, Lisa M. Johnson, 49, and Glenworth M. Johnson, 18, who were in a 2010 Nissan Versa. The three victims were Clearwater residents.
8 On Your Side’s Christine McLarty spoke with Lisa’s mother. She expressed grief saying she is still in shock that the daughter she adopted when she was 3 is gone, along with her son-in-law and grandson.
She said Lisa worked for the Tampa Bay Times delivering papers. She said her husband and son were in the car that night just to help her deliver the papers. Lisa and Bruce are survived by their two daughters, who are 20 and 27 years old, according to the family.
According to the FHP crash report, all three of the Johnson’s were not wearing a seatbelt.
Hackman has been charged with vehicular homicide and leaving the scene of a crash involving a death. The identity of the other person in Hackman’s car remains unknown at this time.
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