A felony case against Bradenton resident David Lynn Nichols is set for this month.
David Lynn Nichols, 60, of Bradenton, was arrested Nov. 18, 2019, and is accused of hitting and dragging a man underneath his vehicle for nearly a block in the area of 101st Street West near Cortez.
Fred Gilliland, known in Cortez as “Fat Freddy,” suffered critical injuries, including several open fractures, significant head trauma and loss of an arm. Nichols faces charges of aggravated battery with great bodily harm and leaving the scene of a crash with serious bodily injury.
If convicted, Nichols would face mandatory prison, with a maximum penalty of up to 15 years.
The case was scheduled to go to court during the trial period beginning May 16 and was on the calendar before Judge Frederick Mercurio May 25-27 at the Manatee County Judicial Center, 1051 Manatee Ave. W., Bradenton.
The Islander reached out to attorneys for both the defense and the state but, as of press time, they had not responded.
— Robert Anderson