Dublin police say employment attorney Spencer Freeman Smith has been charged with vehicular manslaughter.
They say Freeman left the scene of the crime on Dougherty Road where a cyclist was killed Tuesday. The cyclist, a 60-year-old visiting Chinese national, was found dead on the shoulder amidst the remains of a Mercedes-Benz sedan.
Police used serial numbers from the car parts to identify it as a black, 2012 model that has a starting price of about $90,000.
"We got a court order and got a listing of everyone who bought a 2012 in that specific model from Mercedes," Lt. Herb Walters said.
Smith was first on their list because he lived nearby. Smith is an up-and-coming lawyer and a good family man by all accounts. His website talks about seven-figure legal victories and employee rights' cases.
"He's a nice guy. He's quiet," said neighbor Harriet Wilson. "I don't believe that that man ran over somebody and kept going and that person is dead and that is horrible."
On Thursday night police called Smith and met him at the house with his attorney. After serving a search warrant, police found the vehicle inside his garage.
The car was missing the parts that had been found at the scene, according to Walters. "It had extensive front-end damage to the bumper and to the windshield," he added.
Smith has posted $60,000 bail. Police say the investigation is not over yet. They want to know where Smith was before he allegedly hit the bicyclist and whether he was possibly drinking.
