PROVIDENCE, R.I. — An epileptic man was convicted on Friday of fatally striking a Navy base police detective with his truck despite warnings from his doctor not to drive.
A federal court jury in Providence found Alan Bradley guilty of operating a motor vehicle in reckless disregard of the safety of others, resulting in death.
Prosecutors said Bradley, of Newport, was warned by his physician on at least six occasions before the 2013 crash not to drive because of his epilepsy but continued to do so, even after a 2011 accident he told police may have been caused by a seizure.
Bradley's defense attorney, Terence Livingston, had argued that at the time of the crash Bradley had a valid driver's license, was not prohibited from driving and was taking medication for his condition, a neurological disorder that can lead to unconsciousness and convulsions. Livingston did not immediately return a message seeking comment after the verdict.
Bradley, a civilian Navy employee, was driving a government pickup truck on Sept. 26, 2013, when he struck Frank Lema, authorities said. Lema, also a civilian, was standing outside a building at Naval Station Newport, where the U.S. Naval War College is located.
Prosecutors said Bradley told police after the crash that he thought he'd had a seizure but had no memory of hitting Lema.
U.S. Attorney Peter Neronha said after the verdict that he hopes the trial's outcome provides some sense that justice has been done.
Sentencing is scheduled for September. Bradley, 53, faces up to 10 years in federal prison.
