Opinion ID: 1058048
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: events preceding the collision

Text: Krystal testified that she had planned to meet her boyfriend, Charlie Daniels, on the evening of April 16. They were to meet either at Steven's house (the Parent House) or at the home of Elaine Pamplin (Elaine), Daniels' aunt, which was two blocks away (the Pamplin House). Krystal drove first to the Pamplin House, then to the Parent House a few minutes later, arriving between 8:00 and 8:30 p.m. Because she did not carry a purse, she placed her keys, cigarettes, and lighter on a coffee table. A group of Daniels' and Steven's mutual friends were there, listening to music, playing cards, and drinking beer. Krystal took a couple of sips of beer. At some point during the three hours she waited for Daniels to arrive, she noticed her keys were missing. When she asked where they were, Steven said he had taken them so they would not get lost. After Daniels arrived, he and Krystal began arguing. The argument moved from the house to the street, where he hit her and walked away toward the Pamplin House. She returned to the Parent House in tears and asked for her keys so she could go home. She told Steven and the others that Daniels had struck her. Agitated, Steven insisted on confronting Daniels at the Pamplin House. He and one of his friends, Josh Robey, went to the car. Steven, with the keys, got into the driver's seat. Krystal got into the passenger seat and Steven drove to the Pamplin House. [2] When they arrived at the Pamplin House, Krystal took the keys from the ignition. Steven and Robey went into the house to confront Daniels. As Krystal approached the house, she placed her keys, cigarettes, and lighter either on the front step or on a nearby table on the porch. When she entered the Pamplin House, one of the occupants told Steven and Robey that Daniels had not hit Krystal. Krystal and Daniels then spoke privately in the back of the living room. Minutes later, Chris Pamplin (Chris), Elaine's son and Daniels' cousin, yelled to Krystal that Steven had taken the car. Krystal ran outside but Steven and the car were gone. She called the police to report it stolen and then called her parents. The police later came to the Basses' house and informed them that the car had been in a collision. Sometime thereafter, Steven spoke to her and said that he had taken the car because he was angry, believing she had lied to him about Daniels hitting her.
Sharon corroborated that Krystal had called her to tell her the car had been stolen and that Krystal had reported the theft to the police. Sharon also testified that the police came to their home after Krystal returned and informed them that the car had been in a collision. Chris contradicted much of Krystal's description of the events prior to the collision. He testified that earlier that day, Krystal and Robey had driven together in Robey's car. During that time, Steven used her car to pick Chris up and take him to the store. Daniels and Krystal subsequently met at the Pamplin House, where the argument began. Krystal then drove her car to the Parent House and soon thereafter Steven drove up to the Pamplin House in the car with Krystal, Robey, and two more of Steven's friends. Krystal and Daniels resumed their argument in the front yard and Chris told Steven that Daniels had not hit her. Steven then glared at Krystal, got into the car, and drove away. Krystal did not object for 30 to 45 minutes when Steven had not returned. She then called the police to report the car had been stolen. When the police arrived to investigate her report, Chris told them that Steven had not stolen the car. Steven testified that he had been at the home of his girlfriend, Shelly Roell, on the afternoon preceding the collision. Roell lived across the street from the Pamplin House. He went over to the Pamplin House around 4:00 p.m. and Krystal and Daniels were already there. He then walked to the Parent House where he and his friends watched television and played cards. He did not recall seeing Krystal again until around midnight, when she came in crying and said Daniels had hit her. She then gave him her keys and he drove her, Robey, and another friend to the Pamplin House, where Chris told him that Daniels had not hit her. He believed she had lied to him to start a fight between him and Daniels so he got in the car and drove off to blow[ ] off steam. He denied that he had taken her keys from the coffee table at the Parent House and that she had ever taken them back from him after he drove her back to the Pamplin House to confront Daniels. He admitted, however, that she had not given him permission to drive the car after they arrived there. He also denied speaking with her about the collision after it occurred.