LOUDOUN CO., Va. – A propane technician accused of involuntary manslaughter for his position in a lethal 2024 dwelling explosion in Sterling has been discovered responsible.
The jury got here again with a verdict within the case of Roger Lee Bentley on Monday, July 21 after a seven-day trial.
Along with the involuntary manslaughter cost, he was additionally convicted on one rely of misdemeanor illegal launch of hazardous supplies, one rely of misdemeanor failure to keep up required information of hazardous supplies launch and one rely of misdemeanor failure to manage or mitigate unauthorized discharge of hazardous supplies.
The backstory:
Bentley was the propane technician who serviced a house on Silver Ridge Drive in Sterling in February.
The home-owner had a 500-gallon propane tank—which she didn’t use—that had a leak. Early final yr, she needed to get it fastened so she may promote the house.
For causes we don’t know, the tank was crammed on Feb. 16, 2024. Nearly instantly, she smelled gasoline and known as the corporate, who then despatched Bentley.
When the prosecution put its case on, they stated Bentley instructed the home-owner this was not an emergency and to let the propane seep out. He made it clear that she may keep within the dwelling and there was no purpose to name 911.
RELATED: Jury deliberations underway for propane technician accused in Sterling dwelling explosion
The opposite aspect:
The protection stated Bentley adopted his coaching and wasn’t conscious of the leak within the underground tank and harassed that the home-owner ought to name him if there have been points.
They argued that the propane tank had a documented historical past of points and advised that these issues might not have been totally documented and communicated to technicians.
Hours after he left, a neighbor known as 911. Firefighters evacuated the home and the explosion occurred a short while later, killing Brown.
What’s subsequent:
A sentencing listening to is scheduled for Nov. 6,at 1:00 p.m.
Assertion:
The attorneys for the plaintiffs within the case launched an announcement following the responsible verdict. Learn it in full beneath:
At the beginning, we want to thank the jurors for his or her diligent and thorough evaluate of the proof on this case. This was a troublesome case that required the jurors to listen to in depth knowledgeable testimony and from quite a few jurors took their accountability severely and didn’t rush to a judgment.
As I’ve stated earlier than, this tragedy was not unforeseeable nor was it unavoidable. Southern States is a serious company within the enterprise of transporting and dealing with extremely flammable substances. That they had serviced this tank earlier than. They have been conscious that the propane tank in query had been flagged for points. Regardless of that, it was crammed – and when it continued to leak, they left. These selections set in movement a sequence of occasions that led to catastrophic penalties, together with the dying of Trevor Brown and injuring quite a few different firefighters and civilians.
This was a preventable catastrophe—plain and easy. It was mishandled from the outset. Our place has at all times been, and stays, that this was the results of systemic failure by Southern States.
Prison trials cope with particular person culpability of the accused. Our civil motion is about company accountability and the legal responsibility of the person defendants —and that case is shifting ahead. We’re removed from completed. We intend to carry Southern States totally accountable for the hurt and devastation inflicted on our shoppers and their households.
-Demetry Pikrallidas
Counsel for Karam Mashaal and Two Extra Plaintiffs
