LEWISTON – Charges, including manslaughter, were dropped Tuesday against an Auburn teen who was driving the car in which his friend was killed last year after a drag race down Canal Street.
The 8th District Court judge said Kyle Karkos, 19, had behaved in a “foolish and immature” manner and exercised “poor judgment” when he sped through two red lights and lost control of his Honda Civic on a curve, smashing his car into a light pole.
She also dismissed juvenile petitions alleging reckless conduct and driving to endanger. Karkos was 17 years old at the time of the crash.
His behavior did not rise to the level that would make him criminally responsible for the death of 18-year-old Kenny Jellison Jr., the judge said.
During the day-and-a-half trial, Karkos showed little emotion, but burst into tears moments after the judge announced her verdict.
Jellison’s death has caused a lingering rift between the two boys’ families.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.