By Shannon Fiecke, Correspondent 

A 53-year-old Jordan man pleaded guilty Tuesday to his role in a March 2006 snowmobile accident that killed his brother-in-law, David D. Williamson, 52, of Prior Lake.

Richard Gordon Hynes, accused of accidentally hitting or running over Williamson after the man was thrown from his snowmobile, pleaded guilty to the gross-misdemeanor charge of criminal vehicular operation, causing bodily harm while under the influence of alcohol. He was given credit for jail time served and sentenced to 18 months of probation and $980 in fines and fees.

A coroner ruled that Williamson’s death was caused by the impact from the fall. But prosecutors and the defense disagreed whether it could be proven Hynes also struck Williamson, causing additional physical injuries.

Williamson was snowmobiling on March 18, 2006 with Hynes and fellow brother-in-law Kevin Casey at the corner of Murphy Lake Boulevard and 175th Street in Credit River Township when his wife says he hit a ditch and was thrown from his machine.

Hynes, who had been following behind Williamson and came upon him, initially was charged with criminal vehicular homicide. That charge was dismissed after it was determined the death was caused from being thrown off the snowmobile.

According to the coroner, the victim suffered an “aortic laceration,” consistent with a deceleration injury, Scott County Attorney Pat Ciliberto said.

This type of injury occurs when a body is hurtled forward at a fast rate of speed and then suddenly stops, similar to what might happen in an airplane crash or a fall from a great height.

Hynes faced a felony charge of criminal vehicular operation heading into a jury trial, but during plea negotiations it was reduced to a gross misdemeanor.

The County Attorney’s Office agreed to the lesser charge, in part because of conflicting witness statements as well as the judge’s suppression of Hynes’ original statement to police, Ciliberto said.

Williamson’s wife, Denise, disagreed with the decision to bring charges against Hynes.

“Rick’s plea was an unselfish decision on his part, taking into consideration the already lengthy legal process and the emotional strain it put on himself and his family through these past two years,” she said in a written statement. “More times than none, the innocent can fall victim to our legal system.”

According to original statements to authorities, Hynes said he was accelerating to catch up with the other men that night when he saw a flash of Williamson’s plaid shirt and felt a bump. According to his statements, he immediately stopped and thought he had either run over or hit Williamson. He said it happened so quickly, he wasn’t exactly sure what occurred.

In a letter, the Hennepin County Medical Examiner Andrew Baker said Williamson’s right leg and hip injuries could have resulted from the fall or being struck by another snowmobile.

Barring some unusual explanation for blood found on Hynes’ snowmobile, however, Baker said it was reasonable to conclude the machine had struck Williamson.

In addition to initial statements from Hynes, prosecutors pointed to damage found on Hynes’ snowmobile, along with the two blood spots, as proof Williamson was struck.

However, the defense argued the physical evidence might be explained by other factors: Williamson had cut his hand in a cornfield when driving that same snowmobile earlier, and someone had damaged the machine in another incident. The defense also thought statements from Hynes should be suppressed because a deputy in one instance hadn’t given him Miranda Rights.

Casey, the third man snowmobiling, was convicted in 2006 for driving a snowmobile while under the influence of alcohol.

Denise Williamson said the incident was just an accident and the men were having fun spending time together.

Hynes was more than a brother-in-law to her husband, she added. “They were like brothers.”

"Myself and Dave’s entire family support Rick and want to put this behind us,” she said in a statement. “We want to be able to move on and keep the memories of Dave alive in our hearts.”

Shannon Fiecke can be reached at (952) 345-6679 or sfiecke@swpub.com.