A Mohave County judge has broad discretion in pondering punishment for a Lake Havasu City man who fled the scene after his vehicle struck and injured a motorcyclist on May 6. Robert Bergman, 36, could simply be placed on probation or he could be ordered to spend up to 7.5 years in prison.
Bergman pleaded guilty Thursday to failure to stop at the scene of an accident involving serious physical injury. Bergman must also pay nearly $11,000 in restitution to the Mohave County Victim’s Compensation Fund.
Deputy Mohave County attorney Leah Nelson said Bergman was driving his pickup truck northbound when he veered into the northbound motorcycle that was passing on his right, resulting in a collision at 501 Lake Havasu Avenue. She told the Court that the victim suffered a concussion, shoulder injuries, cracked ribs, a punctured lung and severe road rash.
Nelson said Bergman drove away from the accident scene before telling his parents and others that the motorcycle operator caused the accident and that he wasn’t going to jail on a drunk driving charge. Defense attorney Brad Rideout told the Court that Bergman didn’t just blatantly cross over into the motorcycle.
Rideout said that part of the accident is caught on surveillance video at a commercial car wash near the accident scene. Rideout told Judge Camacho that he’ll be able to see that the motorcycle was close to Bergman’s traffic lane and was passing to his right in Bergman’s blind spot.
Rideout said he will play the video during Bergman’s Jan. 11 sentencing hearing.
Dave Hawkins
