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By
D.C. Witness Staff
- January 25, 2019
Court
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Homicides
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Policy
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Suspects
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A D.C. Superior Court judge sentenced a man Jan. 25 to 18 months in prison for running a red light and fatally striking a 64-year-old man who was riding his bicycle to work. According to the defense, the defendant was rushing to get to work on time.
In November, Phillip Peoples pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and leaving after colliding for his role in the death of 64-year-old Thomas Hendricks Hollowell on the 1200 block of Constitution Avenue, NW in September 2018. According to Judge Ronna Beck, it was raining on the day of the murder.
Judge Beck sentenced Peoples, 21, to 1.5 years in prison for involuntary manslaughter and one year in prison for leaving after colliding. The sentences will run concurrently.
“Accidents happen but you expect a driver to have remorse in the moment,” one of Hollowell ’s daughters said, noting that the defendant fled the scene. Apparently, Peoples also lied about his involvement in Hollowell’s death in the days following the homicide.
During the sentencing several members of Hollowell’s family shared their emotional states to the judge. Hollowell’s son recounted the day he learned his father had been struck by a car. He explained that his brain was “numb” when he walked into George Washington University Hospital and saw his father hooked up to multiple tubes and one of his eyes swollen shut.
The son said that his father biked to work every day, that Hollowell had a PhD in environmental science and was employed at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History.
One of Hollowell’s two daughters said that her father was proud to do his part to decrease global warming.
“I give my deepest apologies to the family,” Peoples told the family. “Your forgiveness means the world to me.”
Defense attorney Roger Hale said his client cries daily about Hollowell’s death. Hale said that regardless of the prison sentence, Peoples will have a life sentence. According to Hale, Peoples worked two jobs and was in school, on his way to becoming a nursing assistant. Hale also added that Peoples has a young child and another baby on the way.
Prior to delivering her sentence, Judge Beck said that while Peoples has no criminal history, he did have 17 traffic citations. None of the citations were for speeding or reckless driving.
Judge Beck also said that she plans to sentence Peoples under the Youth Act and after the successful completion of his supervised release, Peoples criminal record will be hidden from public record as stated in Title 24 of the Code of the District of Columbia.
Peoples is required to serve five years on supervised release following his sentence. Judge Beck recommended Peoples be required to complete community service related to pedestrian and bicycle safety, per the families request.