BRADENTON – David Lynn Nichols, 60, has been found guilty of battery and leaving the scene of a crash that caused a Cortez man to lose an arm, among other serious injuries.
In Manatee County’s 12th Judicial Circuit Court last week, a jury found Nichols guilty of both felony counts stemming from a Nov. 18, 2019 argument with Cortez resident Freddy Gilliland, 64.
According to police reports, Nichols struck Gilliland with his truck, dragged him about 300 feet, then fled the scene without notifying authorities.
According to a Nov. 19, 2019 Manatee County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) report, at approximately 10:22 p.m. on Nov. 18, deputies responded to 46th Avenue West and 102nd Street West in Cortez in reference to a vehicle versus pedestrian traffic crash. Upon MCSO’s arrival, Gilliland was on the north side of 46th Avenue West with multiple traumatic injuries that included a nearly severed right arm, a left hand with exposed bone, compound rib fractures and massive facial injuries. He was transported to HCA Florida Blake Hospital by EMS in critical condition and underwent emergency trauma surgery.
“As a result of the defendant’s actions, the victim sustained a magnitude of life-threatening injuries which at last update included the removal of his spleen, a lacerated liver, multiple rib fractures, collapsed left lung, right arm amputation and numerous facial sutures,” MCSO Dep. Britton Couch said in his report following the incident.
When medical personnel and MCSO deputies initially arrived on the scene, Nichols and his vehicle were no longer on the scene and were not located in the immediate vicinity. During the preliminary investigation by deputies, Nichols was identified as a person of interest based on the vehicle description and a witness providing the suspect name “Dave” and the area where he lived in the Sunny Shores subdivision. Deputies responded to the defendant’s residence and located a Chevrolet pickup matching the witness’ description with front-end damage and evidence of a collision with a person. A witness also identified Nichols in a photographic line-up.
Nichols’ sentencing is scheduled on Friday, Oct. 13 at 3 p.m. in front of Judge Frederick Mercurio.
A GoFundMe page called “Friends of Freddy,” which raised $6,400 to help with his expenses, is full of words of support and well-wishes from not only friends and family, but also people in the community wishing to help a neighbor.
