PASCAGOULA, Miss. – Pascagoula police officer Daniel Snyder was found guilty Thursday of a felony fleeing charge after a 16-year-old Ocean Springs girl was hit by his truck and killed.
Snyder was off-duty on Feb. 22, 2013 when the accident happened. Authorities say Kaytlynn Brann and a friend were walking in a street when she was hit by Snyder’s truck.
The Sun Herald reported, Snyder, 44, had consumed several beers at his home in the hours before he hit Kaytlynn, but he was not arrested on a drunken driving offense. Several witnesses said he stopped initially, but left the scene for up to 15 minutes and then returned. He was also heard saying he should have “done like everybody else in Mississippi and just left the scene.”
Other witnesses said he appeared to be in shock at the scene.
He apparently dialed 911 twice to report that a person had been struck, but did not identify himself.
A deputy investigating the case said Kaytlynn was at fault because she was walking in the road. Snyder did, however, leave the scene and initially denied drinking alcohol prior to the crash to deputies. Deputies later found a Bud Light beer cap in the console of his truck.
Snyder is facing a sentence of up to 20 years in prison and up to $10,000 in fines.
