ALEXANDRIA, Va. - A federal jury convicted an Alexandria man today on charges of assault resulting in serious bodily injury, reckless driving, and speeding.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, on April 8, 2022, Menyelek M. Maynard, 26, was driving his white Toyota Camry on the George Washington Memorial Parkway, at over 100 miles per hour, in an area with a posted speed limit of 45 miles an hour. Maynard struck 20-year-old victim J.V.’s motorcycle from behind, sending J.V. flying more than 30 feet through the air. Maynard rolled his own vehicle multiple times, narrowly missing pedestrians in the Parkway’s footpath before coming to rest upside down in the Potomac River. Because of Maynard’s actions, J.V. lost his left leg below the knee, had to have steel rods inserted in both arms and his back, and lost feeling in his left arm and left side. J.V.’s life was saved by motorists who stopped to help him and the rapid response of the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department.
Maynard faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison when sentenced on Jan. 24, 2023. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Christopher Stock, Acting Chief of U.S. Park Police, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema accepted the verdict.
Special thanks to the Fairfax County Police Department for their assistance in this case.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ashley Pungello and Molly Picard and Assistant U.S. Attorneys April N. Russo and Nicholas J. Patterson are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:22-cr-136.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
