Trial Diverted for Driver Accused in San Angelo Police Officer's Death

SAN ANGELO, TX —The woman who was driving the Nissan Rogue that collided with San Angelo Police Officer Korby Kennedy’s motorcycle causing his death in 2015 was placed on pretrial intervention for two years.

Cynthia Quigley, 48, signed on to a pretrial intervention program which is essentially a type of probation that will end with the charge of criminal negligent homicide being dismissed if she successfully completes the terms of the agreement.

Quigley is on disability and will have to report to the probation department by mail monthly and in person every other month.  She will have to pay the probation department $60 per month for the two year period.

The document is a waiver of speedy trial and voluntary agreement to participate in the pretrial intervention program.  Quigley was facing a charge of criminal negligent homicide which is a state jail felony punishable by six months to two years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.00.  If she violates the terms of the agreement, the case will proceed to trial.

The terms of the pretrial intervention program require that Quigley not commit any more offenses, remain in the state of Texas, allow a probation officer to visit her home, avoid injurious habits, avoid disreputable people, remain at home from 10 p.m. til 6 a.m., submit to drug tests, and pay all fines, fees and court costs in addition to all standard conditions of probation.    

Randol Stout represented Quigley and led her defense. He said when the charges were filed, a group of Quigley’s friends and family in Ozona where Quigley lives raised money for her defense and that is when he was hired.

As the case inched towards a jury trial, the amount of money raised wasn’t going to pay for her defense. That’s when Judge Jay Weatherby stepped in and made Stout her court-appointed defense attorney. Stout said this isn’t a usual occurrence, and he was appreciative to the judge and the court for retaining for Quigley a consistent defense team.

The case is technically still pending, so Stout was careful in his statements about it. He said he was satisfied with the end result. Although the pre-trial diversion lasts two years, his client may be eligible for early release with good behavior.

“She’s a very nice lady, but has been through a lot,” Stout said of his client. “Since the accident, she has not driven at all. She probably never will drive again,” Stout said. She is, even to this day, emotionally distraught, Stout explained.

Quigley was accused of negligence. There were never any charges there was an intention to harm anyone, Stout said. And the legal charges weren’t for recklessness, either.

“I feel sorry for her,” Stout said. “I feel bad for the police officer and his family.”

At the same time, Stout said, “There’s a lot of blame to go around to a lot of people in this incident.” All of it will be argued during civil litigation and with the insurance companies, Stout said.

On June 25, 2015, motorcycle police patrolmen were escorting a parade of racing boats headed northeast on Knickerbocker Road. During the parade Quigley was waiting in her Nissan Rogue in a private drive on the south side of Knickerbocker Road to turn left, between Parkview and Johnson Street.

As she waited for the parade to pass her, Larry Netherland, who was driving a truck towing a boat and trailer on behalf of Marty Logan and his various companies, motioned to Quigley to make a left turn. As Quigley entered Knickerbocker Road, and began to turn left, she pulled into the path of Sgt. Korby Kennedy who was on a police motorcycle racing ahead, next to the line of speedboats, to the next intersection. The two collided and Kennedy ultimately died from his injuries.

Quigley was scheduled to go to trial on Monday, Sept. 17, but the jury trial was cancelled when District Judge Jay Weatherby approved the pretrial agreement on Sept. 13.