From Maryland State Police:
A Maryland State Police Crash Team investigation has led to the indictment and arrest today of a Harford County man for a fatal pedestrian hit and run on November 24, 2017.
The accused is identified as Joseph Taylor Bryant, 19, of Abingdon, Maryland. Bryant was arrested at 9:15 a.m. today at his residence without incident. He has been charged criminally on an indictment from a Harford County Grand Jury with homicide by motor vehicle under the influence of drugs, negligent manslaughter by vehicle, reckless endangerment, and other traffic-related charges. Bryant faces up to $30,000 in fines and more than 40 years imprisonment.
The victim, Cristobal Martinez, 31, of Belair, Maryland, was pronounced deceased by emergency medical service personnel at the Upper Chesapeake Hospital on the night the incident occurred. Martinez was found on the shoulder of Route 24 in Edgewood, with obvious injuries.
At about 8:45 p.m. on Friday, November 24, 2017, troopers from the Bel Air Barrack responded to the an area northbound on Maryland Route 24, south of Route 7 in Edgewood, after receiving a 9-1-1 call from a passing motorist. Upon arrival, troopers located Martinez, lying on the shoulder of MD-24 with obvious injuries. Martinez was transported to Upper Chesapeake Hospital where he was pronounced deceased.
Maryland State Police investigators located a silver 2014 Kia Forte on the scene of the fatal hit and run. During their investigation of this incident, Maryland State Police investigators were able to identify Bryant as the possible suspect. Evidence developed in the investigation was presented by the Harford County State’s Attorney’s Office to a Grand Jury. The presentation resulted in the criminal indictment.
POS shouldn’t have been on the road. At 19 he has a long violation list of guilt. Prime example of the failing of the Sheriff. This man was a menace to everyone and finally killed an innocent person so lets focus on heroin overdoses.
Evidently you don’t know in the slightest sense how our branches of government work.
It’s great you want to troll our Sheriff’s Office but last time I checked law enforcement does not determine the sentencing after the disposition of the crime(s).
Dear blown mind in order to get to the courts one must first go through the sheriff office. hope this helps.
No, it didn’t help me. I don’t see the Forest for the Trees in your comment. What does “long list of guilt” have anything to do with law enforcement? Sounds like you should point your fingers to the judicial branch for having this gentleman.
Are you trying to imply this gentleman should not be charged/arrested for any of his previous/current crimes?
You are Seriously a joke. Or you say things just to get a response. Where in our laws and bi-laws does it say that the Sheriff’s Office is responsible for the irresponsibility of a 19 year old man who has hit someone with a 2500 lb vehicle and run away from the scene. Did the Sheriff put the keys in this man’s hands? Did he force the booze or whatever this man was on down his throat? Did he hit the innocent by-stander and like a coward, flee? No. The Sheriff did none of this. It is time to put the blame where it belongs, on the criminal!!
Did the Sheriff keep a driver off the road that was not legally allowed to drive?
Checkmate.
More like a stale mate… this joker has been in trouble in Kent, Cecil, Caroline and Harford County. The Harford County Sheriff’s long arm of the law does not reach into every jurisdiction. Nor does he control who makes bail once arrested. Our justice system is more than one man.
He lived in Harford county
@Seriously, while I concur with your assessment of this individual, I recommend you reach out to someone more knowledgeable on crime/punishment issues so you’ll understand the roles of law enforcement vs. the judiciary. Law enforcement can arrest this fine fellow once a week for the rest of his life but until a judge or jury convicts and sentences him, he’ll be right back on the street. Law enforcement is not permitted to simply hold him because he’s a bad man.
Well, if Law Enforcement would stop making unconstitutional arrests the courts could actually put him behind bars. Why do you really think people walk away with light sentences? It’s because the arrests were not constitutionally sound. Hence, the plea bargains, reconsideration hearings and light sentences. However, reconsideration of sentence hearings are an abomination of law. You see, people get illegally and unconstitutionally convicted and then are supposed to go before the Judge and say they are sorry and have been rehabilitated, when in reality it is the Judge and the Police that should be saying they are sorry for breaking the law and perverting justice. Remember, no law that was passed after 1867 should carry a felony conviction, unless it was a derivative of the laws before 1867 . This is what article 18 of the Maryland Declaration of Rights says, yet has been violated every day in the corrupt courts of the Maryland Judiciary. Get your house in order and stop making bad arrests and convictions, so you can actually get the sentences you desire.
Soul again hits it home. The reason there is liberal activism as we know it in the court system is the abuse that finds a home when we do not hold all involved responsible. Judges and law enforcement, to the Intel community must all be supervised and monitored. Some say its an insult, others say it adds validity to the assigned activity’s.
Ronald Reagan said it best ” TRUST BUT VERIFY “.
Who knew that you can only be charged by the Sheriff’s Office? Does all the other Police in the County have to report to the Sheriff prior to making arrests, or issuing traffic citations? Amazing stuff. First offense you will get a PBJ, second offense maybe some weekends. Let’s start with the courts and the SA Office who like to play let’s make a deal with these cases. Problem is not enforcement, the problem is the courts.
The sad reality is that this loser did not come forward and take responsibility for his actions. This man only is sorry for the fact that he was caught. Penalties for people who refuse to take responsibility for their actions should be much harsher.
People like the suspect are abundant in Harford County.
In 15 months, I’ve had personally owned property hit by a car two times and both times the driver’s left the scene and never returned.
It happened to me too. I had a USPS delivery vehicle smash our fence so badly it had to be rebuilt. The driver sped away before I could get down there.
I had a young man about 16 years old show up at my doorstep holding my mailbox in his hand. He had a bee fly into his truck and drifted into my mailbox. The mailbox and post were completely destroyed. He was visibly shaken over the ordeal but he thought enough to compose himself and take responsibility for what he had done. He had even offered to pay to replace the mailbox and post.
I was so impressed by this young mans actions that I told him to not worry about the mailbox and that I would take care of it myself. He could have easily driven away without me ever knowing who he was and I would have thought very differently about this situation and people in general. It is nice to know that there are some very good people still left in the world and their actions should be rewarded accordingly.
I am very proud of this man and his parents for raising such an upstanding young man and I am honored to be living in the same community as him and his family.
Strin Em Up!
Did I miss something ?? The article was written by the Maryland State Police, they received the call, investigated, charged Bryant, Grand Jury indictment and in serious cases the investigator testifies. How does the Sheriffs Department get the blame ????
It’s an election year, of course, everything will be the Sheriff’s fault.
The same way some nut was on here blaming Sheriff Gahler for a fatal crash that occurred in Cecil County a couple months ago.