Man charged with murder in hit-run
BY TERRI SANGINITI / The News Journal
08/17/2005State police have charged a Dover man with running two motorcyclists off the road, killing one and injuring the other.
Willis R. Miller, 27, of the 4000 block of W. Denneys Road, surrendered to detectives at Delaware State Police Troop 3 Tuesday morning to face charges of second-degree murder and second-degree assault. He was committed to Delaware Correctional Center, near Smyrna, after failing to post $110,000 bail.
Miller is accused of running Joseph D. August, 40, of Smyrna, off the road after a road-rage confrontation Sunday on Del. 11 north of Hartly. August hit a tree and was killed.
According to court records, August and fellow motorcyclist Matthew M. Passwaters, 44, of Bear, were trying to turn left from Del. 44 east to Del. 11 north about 6 p.m. Sunday when Miller cut them off at the intersection.
After cutting the two drivers off, Miller drove west about 100 feet on Del. 44 and stopped his 1992 Chevrolet Suburban. August and Passwaters made a U-turn at the intersection and parked their cycles behind Miller.
The two confronted Miller, damaging the passenger-side mirror and exchanging insulting hand gestures, before driving north on Del. 11, according to court records.
Miller then drove west on Del. 44 and then turned around to find the motorcycle riders after traveling about 3/4 of a mile, police said in court records. Miller's passenger, who was not charged, told police that they talked about retaliating against the motorcyclists and traveled more than 80 mph to catch up with them.
When they did, the Suburban rear-ended August, causing him to slide off the road into a wooded area where he hit a tree and was killed, police said.
An autopsy determined that August died of a hemorrhage from multiple fractures of the spine, sternum and ribs caused by blunt-force trauma, said Jay Lynch, of the Department of Health and Social Services. The death was ruled a homicide.
The Suburban then sideswiped Passwaters' motorcycle, causing him to lose control and crash about 300 feet north of August's crash, police said.
Passwaters was treated at Kent General Hospital for two broken fingers on his right hand and released.
Neither motorcycle operator was wearing a helmet, police said.
The unidentified passenger told detectives that prior to the accident he and Miller had consumed about four or five beers and two mixed drinks at the Touchdown Lounge in Dover, according to court records.
Police said in court records that after the crash, Miller repaired the mirror on the Suburban, changed the registration tag and changed his appearance before heading south to Florida.
State police spokesman Cpl. Jeff Oldham said detectives were told about Miller's identity Monday night after Smyrna police received an anonymous tip.
Detectives went to Miller's home Monday night and learned that he had already left for Florida, Oldham said.
"We were able to make contact with him on his cell phone and convince him to return to Delaware," Oldham said