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The Rice Thresher
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by Olivia Allison and Rachel Krause thresher staff The driver of the pickup truck that hit two debate team vans last March, killing Baker College freshman Dan Henning, was sentenced to 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to criminally negligent homicide Feb. 23. Assistant District Attorney Jeff Laird said Martin Dean Runnells will probably serve between seven and eight years, but he could serve as little as one year. Runnells will be eligible for parole when the amount of time he has served plus his time awarded for good conduct equals about four years. He has been in jail since July 26. Runnells, a 43-year-old Katy resident, was the driver of the truck that struck two vans carrying members of the George R. Brown Forensics Society returning to Houston after participating in a debate tournament in Omaha, Neb., on March 13, 2000. An investigation by the sheriff's traffic division found that, at the time of the crash, the pickup truck was going no less than 79 mph in a construction zone with a speed limit of 55 mph. The truck was also towing a trailer. Several other students were injured in the crash. Dan Henning's parents, Timothy and Diane Henning, said they are relieved that the trial is over but had not formed an opinion about the sentence. "We're still so devastated at the loss of our son that it's really hard for us to feel one way or another [about the sentence]," Diane Henning said. Timothy Henning added that he is glad Runnells pleaded guilty. "We're glad that it's over and we won't have to go through a trial," he said. Debate coach Dan West agreed, saying he thought the driver should be in jail. "I'm glad he's in jail," West said. "I'm just glad he pled guilty, instead of dragging it through a court trial where he'd try to prove his innocence, because he's not [innocent]." Hanszen College junior Brook Ames, whose leg was badly broken in the accident, said he thought Runnells' sentence was appropriate. "You can't go 75 miles an hour in a construction zone and kill an 18-year-old kid and not expect to receive some punishment for it," Ames said. "Yes, it may have been accidental, but there was some negligence involved. ... It was a mistake but it was a mistake that was deadly, and that deserves some time in jail." Ames added that he is thinking about the accident more as the one-year anniversary approaches. "It's getting harder for me as March 13 approaches," he said. "The important thing is to move on past that - and remember what happened, but don't be completely tied down to what happened." Two civil suits will also be filed in connection with the accident. Timothy Henning said he plans to file a claim against the insurance provider of the construction company for which Runnells was working at the time. Ames said his insurance company has paid his medical bills, which so far total more than $200,000, but he plans to file a civil suit. He would not comment on who the defendants will be. Runnells was charged April 7 but evaded police for more than three months. He was apprehended July 26.
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