PHOENIX — The man behind the wheel when two young women were hit on the emergency shoulder of U.S. 60 will not be released from jail before his trial. A judge denied the request Friday.
ABC15 first reported on the deadly crash in October. Now the surviving victim is opening up for the first time about the crash, and losing her best friend.
Rayme Barnes and Zoey Johnson drew dozens of supporters to the Maricopa County Superior Courthouse Friday afternoon.
“Shred like Zoey!” a crowd cheered.
Barnes told ABC15 that the support is comforting.
“All of our loved ones, family, friends,” Barnes said. “Everybody that knew Zoey. Everybody that knows us, and wants to help our story get out there, and not let this happen anymore.”
On October 27, Barnes called her best friend, Zoey Johnson, to help with her stalled car on U.S. 60 near Stapley Road. At around 8 a.m., both women were hit by a vehicle that drifted into the emergency lane.
Barnes, 22, has undergone multiple surgeries and is still recuperating. Johnson, 23, died at the scene.
“She was the light in everyone's lives. She was the main person everyone went to. She was there for everybody,” Barnes said.
Nicholas Meyer of Apache Junction was the driver. The 45-year-old was booked for causing death with a vehicle while driving with a revoked/suspended license, and ARS 28-672A - causing serious physical injury or death by a moving violation. Both are class one misdemeanors.
The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office has since filed felony charges.
Meyer went before a judge on Friday with a motion to modify his release conditions and get out of jail before his trial.
Barnes and Johnson’s families spoke in court against that request.
“A man like that does not deserve to be behind the wheel,” Tyler Anderson, Johnson’s partner, said.
Anderson, who planned to propose to Johnson this year, told the judge she dreamed of a big wedding and being a mom.
“We were six days away from getting the keys to our house,” Anderson told ABC15. “We just got another puppy. It was the next step, a house, and then next marriage, and kids after that. But...”
Johnson’s parents spoke about their loss through tears before Judge Sunita Cairo and discussed Meyer’s prior felony convictions.
“It's just so sad that you have to kill someone to get to this point,” Troy Clemans, Johnson’s father, said.
They also brought up Meyer’s driving record, speckled with violations, even though the judge confirmed he has not had a driver’s license since 1999.
“It’s incredibly concerning,” Samantha Clemans said. “For 27 years, he's been driving around with no license, continuously breaking the law, and he's never been held accountable at any point.”
Barnes also delivered testimony, describing the guilt she feels that she could not save her friend. She said she will be recovering both physically and emotionally for the rest of her life and experiences flashbacks of the crash daily.
“Horrible. Just, having the same day repeat in my head. It's not something that someone should live with,” Barnes said.
Meyer’s attorney declined to comment to ABC15 but told the judge the felony convictions happened more than a decade ago.
Many of Meyer’s family members sat in court, his attorney gave the judge several letters of support, saying he should be released from jail because of strong community and family ties.
Ultimately Judge Cairo denied the motion, explaining she feels Meyer could drive again without a license and endanger the community.
Barnes, surrounded by loved ones, said she was thankful for that ruling.
“So he doesn't do this again,” Barnes said. “It should have never happened. If he was already behind bars, it would have never happened in the first place.”
Meyer’s trial date will be set in May.
