Jurors deliberating in fatal test-drive crash trial

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Jurors have begun deliberations in the murder trial of Bryan Lee, the man accused of causing a fatal crash by driving recklessly while test driving a car.

Lee was test-driving a Dodge Challenger on Fern Valley Road on August 23, 2009  when he struck another car, killing - 40-year-old Toya Buckner-Dioum and her father-in-law, 63-year-old Sherman King.

Lee took the stand in his own defense Thursday, telling jurors that he "put the [accelerator] down probably 70 percent and when I did I felt it take off."

Lee's attorney, James Earhart has argued that the salesperson encouraged Lee to speed to see what the muscle car could do. The salesperson has never been charged in connection with the deaths.

Also during Thursday's testimony, Lee's brother -- who was in the car -- told jurors that the car Lee hit ran a stop sign.

Earhart brought that up again during closing arguments on Friday.

"If the car stops at the stop sign, if the car gives the right-a-way to the car that was going down the road without the stop sign, no accident occurs," Earhart said.

Prosecutors say the bottom line is that Lee was driving and is responsible for his actions and the death of two people.

Prosecuting attorney Kristi Gray says Lee has shown no remorse.

"You saw his demeanor on the stand -- arrogant, no remorse, nothing's my fault," Gray said. "The salesman made me do it; he pressured me. He wasn't threatening him or holding a gun to his head. That's ridiculous."

The computer inside the Dodge Challenger indicates the vehicle was traveling over 100 miles per hour just seconds before impact, but the defense has said they don't believe the data is accurate.

Earhart says the accident was a tragic mistake, but that doesn't make it criminal, and that the crash could have been avoided if Toya, who was driving the car that Lee hit, hadn't run the stop sign.

Lee is charged with two counts of manslaughter, but the jury has the option of finding him guilty of reckless homicide.

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