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Trial date set for driver in baby’s crosswalk death

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LEESBURG, Va. — The driver of a Jeep Cherokee that allegedly killed a 5-month-old boy being pushed in a stroller by his mother in Lansdowne will face a three-week trial for involuntary manslaughter.

John Miller IV, of Leesburg, said nothing during or after a brief hearing in Loudoun County Circuit Court on Monday.

Miller’s attorney, Steven Webster, told Judge Jeanette Irby that Loudoun County Commonwealth’s Attorney James Plowman plans on calling many witnesses, requiring 15 days of testimony and argument.

Irby said the jury trial will begin Oct. 10, 2017.

Miller, 45, was indicted on the felony involuntary manslaughter charge, as well as misdemeanor reckless driving. He was also cited for failure to yield to pedestrians in a crosswalk.

Search warrants filed before his indictment said a driver following Miller on Aug. 31 on Coton Manor Drive saw him holding a phone in his left hand, as if he were reading or watching something.

An affidavit in the case said a voicemail from Miller’s phone was deleted at approximately the time of the crash.

Tristan Schulz’s mother, Mindy, was seriously injured in the crash but was later released from the hospital.

Miller remains free on a $10,000 personal recognizance bond.

Loudoun Co. unpaved roads make Va.’s endangered historic places list

Many people don't realize Loudoun County, Virginia, has 300 miles of unpaved roads until their car's navigation system takes them from a busy commuter route onto an unexpected gravel road. Preservation Virginia — a privately-funded, statewide historical preservation group — has added Loudoun County's rural road network to its "2020 Virginia's Most Endangered Historic Places" list.
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