Billy Lane cleared of charges
North Carolina - Custom motorcycle builder and TV personality Billy Lane, appearing Thursday in a North Carolina court, was found not guilty of driving a motorcycle while intoxicated after a three-hour trial before a judge.
Lane had refused to take a Breathalyzer test after being stopped in June. The refusal forced the suspension of his driver's license, but also left prosecutors without any evidence to present in a Rowan County court.
Lane's attorney, James Davis, called several witnesses who testified that Lane drank only one beer that night in North Carolina.
Lane, however, still faces DUI and "driving with a suspended license causing a death" charges in Brevard County after a Sept. 4 head-on crash on State Road A1A that left a motorcycle rider dead.
Because his license was revoked in North Carolina, he had lost his right to drive in Florida at the time of the fatal accident.
"Regardless of the outcome in North Carolina, he was still driving with a suspended license when he got involved in the crash at Brevard County," said Sgt. Michael Brown of the Florida Highway Patrol."We have our own case," Brown said. "The investigators are confident they have a good case against Mr. Lane."
The victim's family was stunned by the decision.
"Oh, God," said Morelock's brother, Byron, a financial consultant. "This is unbelievable. I swore to my boy, 'This ain't gonna happen here.' "
"This is a joke," he said. "This guy killed my brother. I'm disappointed in (North) Carolina."
Florida Highway Patrol Homicide Investigator Sgt. Channing Taylor said that Lane, who had been at two bars before the accident, was attempting to pass three cars at night on a double-yellow line when he hit a mini-Yamaha driven by Sebastian Inlet Park Ranger Gerald Morelock.
The accident severed Morelock's leg and sent his body flying to the pavement. Taylor said he died instantly.
Lane, who was injured along with his passenger, 22-year-old Erin Derrick, submitted to a blood alcohol test after being told he had no choice, but did not give a statement to investigators.
The test showed Lane had a blood-alcohol level of .192, more than twice the legal limit of .08.
His attorney in Brevard, Kepler Funk, said he is investigating the incident as he prepares for trial.
"Things aren't always what they appear," Funk said. "Just because somebody gets accused of something doesn't mean they did what they're accused of doing."