Thorpe v. Commonwealth

A jury found Robert S. Thorpe, Jr., guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the traffic death of Christopher Gainer and fixed his punishment at confinement in jail for six months and payment of a fine in the amount of $1,000. By final order entered May 22, 1981, the trial court entered judgment on the verdict but suspended the jail sentence and permitted Thorpe to pay the fine and costs within two years. On appeal, the dispositive question is whether the trial court erred in permitting an expert in accident reconstruction to testify concerning Thorpe’s speed at the time of the collision.

The…