Midland Man Charged with Manslaughter After Killing Best Friend

BRYAN, TX – A Midland man is being charged with Intoxicated Manslaughter with a Vehicle after killing his friend in a violent crash.

According to CBS7, 21-year-old Colton H. Bradley admitted to authorities he had consumed two shots and three beers before running a red light and causing the crash around 5:00 a.m.

Investigators determined that Bradley was driving his 2013 Chevrolet Camaro northbound on E. 29th Street and ran a traffic light at Briarcrest. The traffic light had been red for at least 30 seconds before he drove into the intersection. Bradley’s car was t-boned on the passenger side by a pickup truck going westbound on Briarcrest.

The victim, 27-year-old James Ross Ragsdale of Bryan, was critically injured as a result of the crash. At the scene, an officer and a bystander attempted to perform CPR on Ragsdale, but he was pronounced dead when he arrived at the hospital.

According to the report, officers asked Bradley where they were coming from and he responded they had left a bar in Bryan around midnight. When asked by officers what time he thought it was, Bradley guessed it was 12:45 a.m.

Bradley told police that they had been drinking all night and when asked if he felt intoxicated, he responded: “Yeah, I'm definitely intoxicated.” Officers noted they could smell alcohol on his breath. Bradley has three prior convictions on his record for Driving While License Invalid, the most recent conviction occurring in June 2019 in Midland.

Bradley then made a phone call to an unknown woman where he allegedly said: "I'm going to jail for manslaughter over my best friend."

Two people inside the pickup truck suffered multiple fractured bones as a result of the crash. A driver in a third vehicle that was parked at the light suffered minor injuries.

Bradley was treated for his injuries and transported to the Brazos County Detention Center where he remains in custody. In addition to the Intoxicated Manslaughter with a Vehicle charge, he is charged with two counts of Intoxication Assault with a Vehicle causing Serious Bodily Injury and a charge for having no liability insurance on his car. His total bonds are set at $57,000.