DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) - A Davenport man charged in a fatal hit-and-run of an Illinois man has pleaded not guilty.
Mark Lance Blackwood, 63, entered the written plea Monday, the Quad-City Times reported.
Blackwood is charged in Scott County with vehicular homicide and leaving the scene of an accident resulting in the death of Eric Johnson, 60, of Rock Island, Illinois. Blackwood faces up to 15 years in prison if he’s convicted of both counts.
Investigators believe Blackwood hit Johnson on a Davenport street on Jan. 18. Police have said Johnson was carried on the car about 140 feet before falling and being dragged under the car for nearly 3,000 feet.
Investigators found the suspected hit-and-run SUV the next day outside Blackwood’s home, police said.
Police said in court documents that Blackwood knew or should have reasonably known that he had hit a person. Authorities also fault Blackwood for not reporting the crash to police or medical personnel.
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