CRESTVIEW — The state attorney’s office will not pursue criminal charges against a man who police say caused a traffic crash on P.J. Adams Parkway in July that killed a state prison inmate.
To prove vehicular homicide in Florida, the state attorney’s office would need to prove that Joshua Meseke’s actions were more than only not using ordinary care, said Bill Bishop, the chief assistant state attorney in Okaloosa County.
Speeding in bad conditions or in a school zone or ignoring traffic signals are examples of reckless driving that could bring more serious charges.
“(Meseke’s) actions that day, while they are negligent, don’t rise to the level of reckless driving that is necessary to prove vehicular homicide,” Bishop said.
On July 12, Meseke was trying to turn left in his 1999 Honda Accord from Villacrest Drive onto P.J. Adams when he hit a 1996 Dodge Ram.
Florida Corrections Officer Glenn Tatum was driving the van and six inmates to a worksite in Milton.
The van rolled several times, tearing a hole in its roof. Inmate Lawrence Houze, 51, was ejected from the van and died from his injuries.
Meseke told police his front side windows had fogged up and made it difficult for him to see, according to Crestview police report. The Accord did not have working front side windows or a defroster.
Meseke was cited for failure to yield, Crestview police spokesman Lt. Andrew Schneider said. He has an upcoming court date.
