PARKERSBURG - A man charged in connection with the death of two men in a 2011 traffic accident pleaded guilty Wednesday to a misdemeanor charge in Wood County Magistrate Court.
Anthony Robert Harold, 22, 1590 Hollywood Road, Newton, W.Va., pleaded guilty to negligent homicide, a misdemeanor, in the May 21, 2011 accident that took the lives of Brandon L. McGlothlin, 22, of Looneyville and William Boley, 46, of Friendly.
Magistrate Robin Waters sentenced Harold to one year home confinement and he was assessed $160.80 in court fees.
According to police reports, Harold was operating a 2003 Dodge Dakota pickup traveling south on West Virginia 2, about four-tenths of a mile north of its intersection with W.Va. 31, when he collided with a Dodge Dakota pickup driven by Boley.
Reports at the time of the accident said Harold stated he looked at a building off to the side of the road. When he looked back he noticed he was drifting into the northbound lane. Harold attempted to go back to his lane, when he said his steering failed to work and he was not able to go back to the southbound lane.
According to the criminal complaint, Harold's vehicle was completely in the northbound lane at the area of impact. A reconstruction of the scene determined he was driving at a speed of 70 mph.
McGlothlin was pronounced dead at the scene and Boley died later the same day at Camden Clark Medical Center, Memorial Campus.
A second charge of negligent homicide and counts of speeding and driving left of center were dismissed as part of the plea agreement.
