Mike Martin will face two new felonies over 2007 accident

A Mountain Home man preparing for a retrial on vehicular manslaughter now faces new charges related to the same incident.

Following the continuation of a preliminary hearing Friday afternoon, Michael Martin was bound over to district court to stand trial for felony drunk driving and another felony for leaving the scene of an accident.

Martin stands accused of running a car off Aguirre Road south of Mountain Home the morning of May 5, 2007. Juanita Ramirez and James Garner, both from Mountain Home, died during the crash.

Magistrate Judge George Hicks scheduled last week's hearing following an initial one held Dec. 4 so he could review transcripts from Martin's previous trial held last May. Over the past two years, Martin has been tried twice on charges that included vehicular manslaughter. Juries in both trials never reached a verdict on the manslaughter charges. He was acquitted on other, more serious charges.

Citing "substantial evidence" at the Dec. 18 hearing, county prosecutor Kristina Schindele said Martin deliberately fled the accident scene before emergency crews arrived in order to conceal his involvement in the crash. She said Martin was afraid of being arrested for felony drunk driving, which also prompted him to lie to investigators.

See the Mountain Home News for the complete story.