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Witnesses detail gruesome dragging death
Posted: 02.07.2012 at 2:40 PM
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Detra Farries  / FOX21: file photo
Photo

COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. -- Tuesday was day three of the trial for the woman accused of dragging a tow truck driver to his death in February 2011, and the prosecutors continued calling witnesses to the stand who saw the alleged incident.

Allen Rose was dragged to his death Feb. 23 when someone got into an illegally-parked SUV and drove away as Rose was preparing to tow it. Rose's feet got tangled in the tow chains, and he was dragged for more than a mile to his death.

Detra Farries, the woman accused of driving the SUV, has plead not guilty to manslaughter and vehicular homicide, among other charges.

Diana Morales-Gonzalez was working as a cashier at the 7-11 store on the corner of Platte Avenue and Murray Boulevard near where the incident started that morning. The first words she said she heard were "God please stop." When she looked outside said she saw chains around a man's legs as he was being dragged and also said he had his hand near his neck as he was lying on his back trying to loosen something. 

More on the dragging death
Trial opening statements 
Judge denies change of venue  
Tow truck man dragged to death 
Woman arrested in dragging 
New safety regulations 
Farries faces charges 
Farries pleads not guilty 

"I started shaking," she said in court Tuesday. "I couldn't work anymore. I had to go home."

She said it's one memory she will never forget.

"I hate every day that I have to go to work and relive that moment," she said.

Ellarita Nelson said when she saw the SUV dragging a man, she followed behind trying to get the driver to stop. Nelson described the sound of the man being dragged like a skateboard.

"He looked me in the eyes, I saw his eyes," Nelson said. "I was looking at him, he was looking at me as she kept going down the street. He was hitting curbs on both sides of the road."

Nelson said she could also remember him screaming.

Nikya Amato, Nelson's daughter-in-law, also took the stand Tuesday. She said she saw blood all over the street and skid marks on the road.

"I was like 'Are they making a movie?'" Amato said.

Witness Gloria Pitman described her memory of seeing Rose as "horrific," and said she couldn't take her eyes off him.

"He was terrified," she said.

Witness Christopher Dunlap said he was in the parking lot of Hill Park Apartments with his uncle working on Farries' daughters car. That is where the incident started as Dunlap described seeing the tow truck arrive in the lot. Dunlap said he did not know Farries at the time of the incident and had never talked to her before. 

During cross examination by the defense, Dunlap said Farries was already in the SUV before Rose hooked the chains to tow it.

The trial is expected to continue throughout the week and into next week as well.

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