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.
