Grand Jury Indicts Young Woman for Vehicular Manslaughter on Cardinal Drive

On July 6, 2020, the Grand Jury for the County of Prince William and the Cities of Manassas and Manassas Park returned indictments for a vehicular accident that occurred Cardinal Drive in Prince William County, Virginia. The accident resulted in the death of Deborah Lynn Talbot, 50, of Woodbridge. The grand jury indicted Cierra Dickerson, 19, of Woodbridge, with one count of Involuntary Manslaughter, one count of Racing Involving Death, one count Reckless Driving for driving too fast and one count of Reckless Driving for failure to maintain proper control of the vehicle. With a maximum sentence, the defendant could serve up to 32 years in prison. Dickerson struck Talbot with a Lexus 2007 while Talbot was on the sidewalk, walking her dog. According to the indictments, Dickerson was "racing" at the time of the accident and lost control of the vehicle.

Explanation of charges: 

• One count of Involuntary Manslaughter under Virginia Code § 18.2-36 (Involuntary Manslaughter carries a potential sentence of up to 10 years in prison and a $2500 fine)
• One count of Racing Involving Death under Virginia Code §§ 46.2-865 and 46.2-865.1 (Racing Involving Death carries a potential sentence of 1 to 20 years in prison)
• One count of Reckless Driving - Too Fast for Conditions under Virginia Code § 46.2-861 (Reckless Driving carries a potential sentence of up to one year in jail and a $2500 fine)
• One count of Reckless Driving – Failure to Maintain Proper Control under Virginia Code § 46.2-853 (Reckless Driving carries a potential sentence of up to one year in jail and a $2500 fine)

According to Prince William Police, investigators from the Crash Investigation Unit responded to the area of Cardinal Drive and Swan Way in Woodbridge (22193) to investigate a crash involving a pedestrian, May 1 at 2:24 p.m.

“The investigation revealed that the driver of a 2007 Lexus IS 250 was traveling eastbound on Cardinal Drive when the vehicle left the roadway in the above area and struck a pedestrian who was walking her dog on the sidewalk,” said Prince William Police spokesman Sgt. Jonathan Perok.

The striking vehicle remained on scene. The driver was transported to an area hospital for precautionary reasons where she was treated and released. The pedestrian was flown to an area hospital where she later died on May 3, as a result of her injuries sustained during the crash.

An indictment is not a conviction.

"The charges in an indictment include allegations that a defendant has committed a crime," said a spokesperson for the Commonwealth Attorney. "Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt." Rule 3.6 of the Virginia State Bar's Rules of Professional Conduct for Attorneys states, in pertinent part: "A lawyer participating in or associated with the... prosecution ... of a criminal matter that may be tried to a jury shall not make or participate in making an extrajudicial statement... that the lawyer knows, or should know, will have a substantial likelihood of interfering with the fairness of a trial by jury." According to a statement, the Commonwealth Attorney will refrain from discussing the evidence, its trial strategy, or its work product prior to the conclusion of the case.