DUI murder case headed to trial
Published 4:59 pm Friday, April 18, 2014
A case involving a Plantersville man charged with murder for the death of a Jemison man will go to trial in July.
Cedric Randall, 28, allegedly drove intoxicated on Feb. 2, 2013 and caused a wreck that killed Michael Guy Chancellor, 36, of Jemison.
Randall was transported to UAB Hospital after the wreck, which occurred about 11:40 p.m. on Highway 31 in north Thorsby.
Randall was arrested Feb. 5, 2013, upon his release from the hospital.
Randall has pleaded not guilty.
Chief Deputy District Attorney for the 19th Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office C.J. Robinson said Randall will have a jury trial on July 28.
The crash report from the Alabama State Troopers indicates Randall was driving under the influence of both alcohol and drugs.
At the time of the crash, Randall’s alcohol test results indicated a blood alcohol level of 0.165, more than double Alabama’s legal limit for adult drivers of .08.
A witness told the officer investigating the crash that Randall was traveling south on Highway 31, ran off the road, crossed the centerline and collided with Chancellor’s car.
Randall admitted to drinking earlier before the crash and stated he did not remember the crash or any details leading up to the crash, according to the crash report.
Chancellor was pronounced dead at the scene.
The witness who observed the crash said Randall swerved off the road in his 2010 Honda Accord, then drove back on the road, and hit the car driven by Chancellor head-on while driving 70 miles per hour.
The crash report states the witness observed Randall exit his car from the driver’s side “yelling and acting very hostile as if he was under the influence and his mind was altered.”
Randall was also driving with a suspended driver’s license.
Chancellor’s wife, Bethanie, and children, Peyton (7 at the time of the crash) and Lawson (1 at the time of the crash), were hospitalized following the wreck and later released.