A Henderson County man pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter on Jan. Jason Ryan Blackwell, 47, of East Flat Rock, was sentenced to a minimum of months and a maximum months — or up to 11 years — in prison, according to court records. The state dismissed Blackwell's other charges of driving with a revoked license, reckless driving to endanger and driving while impaired, according to a plea transcript obtained by the Times-News.
Around a. When he arrived, Noblett found Dustin Byrnside, 44, of Flat Rock, lying dead in the grass next to the highway, according to an affidavit the trooper signed in Henderson County Superior Court.
Noblett wrote that signs from the scene showed that Byrnside had been dragged out of the road and into the grass. The highway patrol's investigation found that Blackwell was driving an F pickup truck when he drove off the road and struck Byrnside on the grass along the highway's shoulder in Flat Rock, according to previous Times-News reporting and a news release from District Attorney Andrew Murray's Office.
The impact caused the pedestrian to fly onto the hood of the truck, the release said. When Blackwell drove back onto the roadway, Byrnside fell off the truck. Stopping his vehicle, Blackwell then pulled the victim onto the shoulder and drove away, according to the trooper's affidavit. Byrnside suffered extensive injuries, including "significant trauma to the torso and head," the release said.
After law enforcement spent several hours searching for Blackwell, he was arrested around a. His speech was slurred, while he acted drowsy and agitated. Previous reporting: Pedestrian killed in hit-and-run on Spartanburg Highway; driver now in jail. Sometimes he was nice and other times he seemed ready to fight," Noblett wrote in his affidavit. Blackwell made mixed statements to the trooper, saying he didn't drive the car but then stating it was an accident, and he "didn't see the guy.
