The man accused of a Saturday hit and run shed a tear in court Tuesday while listening to the description of the victim’s death.
39-year-old Clyde Reynolds is charged with failure to render aid to an injured person — which is a felony. Police say he hit Jacob Askoak at 4th and Boniface around 11:20 Saturday night. He was arraigned in court Tuesday.
“Me and my 16-year-old daughter went over to Jake. He was bleeding all over the street,” testified a witness who saw what happened and asked not to be named. She described Askoak’s last moments, lying on the pavement.
“He died right there in front of us,” she said.
According to court documents, Reynolds was driving 45 miles per hour in a 25 zone when he hit Askoak. Delores Askoak says the news of her son’s death tore her apart.
“Now I know how other mothers, fathers feel when they lose their own child. It hurts. Very hard,” she said, crying outside the courtroom.
Reynolds also shed a tear as he listened to the witness describing Askoak’s injuries, which she called carnage.
“When I go to sleep at night I see his face and I’m so thankful that his mother gave me a picture of him so that I can see what he looked like in real life,” said the witness.
Police found a damaged car matching witness’ descriptions at Reynold’s mother’s home. It was a Mercedes Benz with a dented hood and was missing a piece of its grill. The grill was found at the scene of the crash, along with tread marks on the road, according to court documents.
Delores Askoak said her son had a big heart and was always helping others. She had a message for Reynolds after seeing him in court.
“We’re a forgiving family,” she said. “Please put God in your heart. Hopefully, he’ll forgive you too.”
The judge set Reynolds’ bail at $20,000 plus a third party custodian. He faces up to 99 years in prison if convicted. According to court documents, this is not the first time Reynolds has been involved in a hit-and-run. Police in Prichard, Alabama arrested him for the same crime in 2004.
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