Defendant Testifies He ‘Accidentally Hit the Gas Instead of the Brake’ in Trial of 2020 Hit-And-Run Case 

By Aubree Tomasetti [former] - October 11, 2023
Court | Daily Stories | Homicides | Suspects | Traffic | Victims |

On Oct. 10, defense attorneys presented witness testimony including the defendant’s regarding a 2020 homicide case before DC Superior Court Judge Maribeth Raffinan. 

Eric Beasley, 32, is charged with first-degree murder for his alleged involvement in a hit-and-run that resulted in the death of 45-year-old David Farewell while he was riding his bicycle. The incident occurred on Sept. 4, 2020 on the 2100 block of Young Street, SE.

Beasley testified he heard and saw Farewell yelling and pointing his finger at his girlfriend, leading Beasley to ask if she was okay. Beasley claimed he was worried for Farewell’s girlfriend and cited Farewell’s behavior as “erratic.” 

After the incident, Beasley stated he was moving Farewell out of the street to prevent him from being hit by other vehicles. When asked why he decided to flee the scene, Beasley claimed he was scared and didn’t expect to be treated fairly by police. 

During cross examination, the prosecution displayed a video of a car driving towards Farewell, acknowledging that no brake lights could be seen, which contradicted Beasley’s earlier statement of, “I was trying to hit the brake.” 

Prosecutors also presented a video from the gas station, indicating there was no altercation seen between Farewell and his girlfriend. 

During the defense attorneys’ redirect, Beasley said, “I accidentally hit the gas instead of the brake. I feel horrible because the man lost his life.”

Defense attorney Patrick Nowak called a Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officer, who had been one of the first on scene. Nowak argued cross-contamination may have occurred, as he displayed multiple clips from the officer’s body-worn camera footage, highlighting the amount of bystanders shown at the scene and a witness allegedly picking up a piece of evidence.

The trial is expected to continue on Oct. 11.