Motorist who killed bicyclists Sierra and Larry Gaunt charged with manslaughter

The motorist in the Gaunt double fatality was charged this morning with two counts of involuntary manslaughter.

Bicyclists gather at memorial ride for Larry and Sierra Gaunt

Johnson is being charged with first degree manslaughter, a Class C felony.

A Class C felony carries a prison term of up to 7 years for each charge.

Keep in mind that this is a maximum sentence and actual sentences may be lower, even if a conviction for first degree manslaughter is obtained.

Further information:

• Complaint with Probable Cause Statement, prepared by the prosecutor to outline the basis for the charge
  
• Involuntary manslaughter statute
  
  
• Prison sentences for different varieties of crimes
  
  
• Background/history of the Gaunt case
  
  
• KCStar story:

Grandview man charged in wreck that killed two

By KEVIN HOFFMANN

Authorities today charged a Grandview man with two counts of involuntary manslaughter in connection with a wreck last month that killed a grandfather and his granddaughter.

Jackson County Prosecutor Jim Kanatzar announced the charges against William K. Johnson, 49, this morning at a press conference.

According to court documents filed in the case, Johnson was driving a 1985 Chevrolet pickup on Raytown Road when the truck struck the bicycles of Larry and Sierra Gaunt. Larry Gaunt, 59, was pronounced dead at the scene. Sierra, 14, was taken to a hospital where she later died.

The court documents allege that Johnson was speeding before he struck the cyclists and that his truck drifted off the roadway due to inattention. Johnson overcompensated, the documents allege, and the truck skidded before impacting the bikes.

“The majority of vehicular fatalities do not result in criminal charges,” Kanatzar said. “There are times when a driver’s actions constitute a crime and that driver needs to be held accountable.”

The charges are both felonies that carry maximum sentences of seven years in prison.

The area where the wreck happened is near Longview Lake south of Harry S. Truman Drive. Family members have said that Larry Gaunt, and avid cyclist, and Sierra were training for the MS 150 bike ride when the wreck occurred. It would have been Sierra’s first ride in the event.