Missouri Cop Found Guilty In Fatal Dodge Hellcat Crash

The muscle car has been characterized as a dangerous instrument used recklessly.

According to a report from WPSD, former Sikeston police captain Andrew Cooper was found guilty by a jury of involuntary manslaughter in a fatal crash back on February 29, 2020. The case is particularly notable since the jury also found Cooper guilty of armed criminal action after prosecutors argued the 2016 Dodge Challenger Hellcat he was driving at a high rate of speed while blowing through a stop sign constituted using a dangerous instrument in a reckless manner.

Watch a girl use a Toyota Prius to run from the cops surprisingly well.

This should make anyone with a performance car like a Hellcat stop and think twice about just blasting around town, running stop lights/signs, and acting like driving recklessly for fun has zero consequences. It’s possible this case could help establish that driving like that in a high-powered vehicle constitutes being reckless with a dangerous instrument.

According to reports, the Dodge Hellcat was traveling at about 90 mph in a 45 mph zone when it blew through a stop sign. The muscle car hit a 2017 Chevy Equinox turning left, killing 22-year-old Abigail Cohen of Sikeston. Cooper and several others were injured in the crash.

At the scene, a blood alcohol test was conducted, reports the Standard Democrat. That test showed a BAC level of 0.072%. In Missouri, a BAC of 0.08% or higher is considered intoxicated. Still, Cooper was charged with three counts of DWI with serious physical injury, which the jury didn’t find him guilty of.

Considering the devastating power many vehicles have when they hit other cars, buildings, people, etc. we can see why prosecutors argued the Hellcat constituted a dangerous instrument. We don’t think that means restricting vehicles in ridiculous ways is the answer, something different enthusiasts have worried could be coming, similar to current and proposed firearm bans.

Cooper will find out his fate on August 1 at a sentencing hearing. We’ll see if he decides to appeal.