Judge David Stutzman heard testimony from crime scene investigators during the pre-trial hearing in the case of Derik Kesler Tuesday afternoon at the Riley County District Courthouse.
Kesler, a 33-year-old Rossville man, is facing a vehicular homicide charge involving an accident that took the life of a 49-year-old Manhattan bicyclist.
Mark Jilka suffered fatal injuries when Kesler struck him with his truck on June 26, 2014, at approximately 7:11 that evening while traveling on Kansas Highway 177 south of Manhattan.
It’s alleged that Kesler was looking at his cell phone for an address when the accident occurred.
Testimony from one CSI official for the Riley County Police Department who specializes in extracting information from cell phones said there were texts and phone calls minutes before and after the accident, but none at the time of the accident.
Another RCPD official who spoke with Kesler at the scene of the accident said Kesler was “visibly shaken” and overcome with emotional distress during a later interview at the police station.
The same officer also said Kesler displayed no signs of drug or alcohol use.
Further steps in the case will be announced later this month.
