Superior Police Officer Involved In Fatal Crash Pleads Not Guilty
The former Superior Police officer that was involved in a traffic crash that occured in July that resulted in two fatalities and two people injured has entered his plea on the charges facing him. During his appearance in Douglas County Circuit Court on September 19, former Superior Police Sergeant Gregory Swanson plead "not guilty" to all of the charges associated with the situation.
The plea came after Swanson waived his right to have the charges read to him.
The charges facing 42-year old Swanson are lengthy, according to an article in the Superior Telegram [paywall]. They've also been amended since the original arrest:
"[Swanson]....was initially charged with one felony count of homicide by intoxicated use of a vehicle. An amended complaint filed August 22 contained eleven additional charges - two counts of homicide by use of a vehicle with a prohibited alcohol concentration, two counts of hit and run resulting in death, an additional count of homicide by intoxicated use of a vehicle, two counts of causing injury by intoxicated use of a motor vehicle, two counts of causing injury by intoxicated used of a motor vehicle with a prohibited alcohol concentration and two counts of hit and run resulting in injury."
Court records also show that Swanson "pleaded not guilty to a trailing citation for first-offense operating with a prohibited alcohol concentration".
Swanson, a Solon Springs resident, had been employed by the Superior Police Department at the time the July incident. Records show that he had been with the Superior Police Department for 15 years - entering his resignation on August 4, following the traffic crash.
Details about the traffic crash come from the official criminal complaint. They show that Gregory Swanson was off-duty at the time of the incident on July 15. "[A]t about 1:17 AM", a vehicle "Swanson was driving struck a disabled sedan with no lights in the right lane of the 5200 block of East Second Street". The criminal complaint details that "a 23-year old man was reported dead at the scene"; he had been outside of his vehicle, "pushing it at the time of the crash" from behind. "A blood draw indicated Swanson had a blood alcohol concentration of 0.190 at the time of the crash [which is] more than twice the legal limit". After the crash, Swanson was seen at a nearby Holiday gas station, where he was witnessed "get[ting] out of his vehicle with a six-pack of alcoholic beverages [that he threw]...into a garbage can".
In addition to the one victim that was dead at the scene, there were three additional passengers of the vehicle. Two of them sustained injuries - "including whiplash, a laceration, and bruising from child safety restraint straps". The remaining passenger - a 2-month old - "died four days later from blunt force trauma".
Swanson had been released after the initial appearance, after he posted the $15,000 cash bond. His release came with stipulations from the court.
The next court appearance for the case and for Gregory Swanson will come next year - on January 9. 2023.