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The assistant state attorney for the Fourteenth Judicial Circuit of Florida Wednesday filed three counts of vehicular homicide against a man charged in the deaths of three linemen last month, including two from North Carolina.

Larry Basford, the assistant state attorney, also filed counts against John Roland Goedtke for leaving the scene of a crash involving death and driving while license canceled, suspended or revoked causing serious bodily injury or death.

The counts were filed in the Washington County Clerk of Circuit Court office around 3:30 p.m.

The three counts of vehicular homicide, according to the document, allege Goedtke operated a motor vehicle in a reckless manner likely to cause the deaths of Ryan Thomas Barrett, George Charles Walton Cesil and James Ussery.

In the fourth count the state charges Goedtke willfully failed to immediately stop the vehicle at the scene of the crash or failed to remain at the scene.

The fifth count reflects Goedtke unlawfully operated a vehicle while he didn’t have a driver's license or while his license was canceled, suspended or revoked “and by careless or negligent operation … did cause the death or serious bodily injury to Ryan Thomas Barrett, George Charles Walton Cesil and … James Ussery.”

Barrett, of Roanoke Rapids, and Cesil, of Colerain in Bertie County, worked for Lee Electrical Construction out of Aberdeen while Ussery worked for West Florida Electric.

The three were helping to restore power in the Florida panhandle region in the aftermath of Hurricane Michael when they were struck on October 24.

According to the arrest report filed by Corporal Samuel Ellis of the Florida Highway Patrol, a document contained in the court record, the crash occurred shortly after 7:15 p.m. on State Road 77 and Walton Road south of the city of Chipley as the linemen were working on power lines on the west shoulder of the road.

The vehicle driven by Goedtke traveled off the roadway and collided with the linemen. Cesil was pronounced dead at the scene. Ussery and Barrett succumbed later.

Ellis was advised the driver had left the scene on foot and had been detained.

The trooper also spoke with a witness who saw the crash and identified Goedtke as the driver.

While the man never stated he was involved in a crash he did state he worked with the owner of the vehicle. He said he had not been driving because his license was suspended.

Goedtke agreed to have blood drawn by EMS and was asked to perform field sobriety tests which the trooper noted “were all performed poorly. After the exercises I explained to Mr. Goedtke that with the witness statement and identifying him as the driver … at the time of the crash, along with the papers in his pocket with the owner of the truck’s name on them, that there was enough probable cause to place him under arrest.”

At the time Ellis noted he had probable cause to place Goedtke under arrest for the charges of DUI manslaughter, vehicle homicide, DUI involving serious bodily injury and driving with a suspended license.