City driver who killed homeless man was accident waiting to happen

On June 28, a homeless man, Michael Knockett, 52, who was sleeping on the beach, was run over by a Virginia Beach city dump truck. The truck’s crew was emptying trash cans along the beach, as they do every morning.

Heather Boyd, the city driver who crushed the man, has a driving record that has many questioning why this woman was still driving at all.

Between 2006-2008, Boyd received seven tickets for moving violations in Chesapeake and Virginia Beach (four speeding tickets, one following too closely, one disregarding a highway sign and one reckless driving).

According to Virginia Beach City officials, if a city driver accrues eight demerit points on their license, the employee's director is notified.

Boyd, who was hired in 2007, racked up a total of 14 demerit points on her license after she was hired.

No charges were ever filed against Boyd.

A few days after Knockett was killed, Virginia Beach Commonwealth’s Attorney Harvey Bryant’s office released the following statement: “The law requires specific elements which must be met before criminal charges should be brought. Criminal cases must be proved beyond a reasonable doubt. Negligence is not a crime, although it may be the basis for civil liability... Whether civil liability exists is not something my office determines...”

Immediately following the deadly incident, Deputy City Manager Dave Hansen told the press that Knockett had been sleeping in a “depressed area,” and the truck driver could not see him.

Hansen’s statement gave the impression that Knockett was lying in a pit, or was lying flat on the ground, making it difficult for the driver to have seen him.

However, a few days later, a photo surfaced which was taken by a tourist visiting Virginia Beach, and clearly showed the man sitting on a flat part of the beach in a chair, covered in a bright blue blanket. The photo was taken, just minutes before his death.

The image captured by Joan Veronie of Topeka, KS, told a much different story of the circumstances leading up to the tragic accident, from the one told by city officials.

Once the press published the photo, Hansen apologized for his previous statement.

Despite a Freedom of Information Request, the City of Virginia beach has refused to release the 911 call, placed after Knockett was run over.

The way the city continues to handle the death of Michael Knockett, leads to more questions than answers.

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