A motion was granted on Wednesday, Nov. 1, in the courtroom of Judge Robert Mayer to consolidate the cases of father and son, Garey and Wesley Faries of Puxico.
The two were charged in February 2017 following a wreck on Highway 51 in the early morning hours of Friday, Feb. 17, that left a Sikeston man dead.
According to authorities, when the Highway Patrol was summoned to the scene, Garey Faries, then 76, told Trooper Russell Gibson he was driving the stretch of Hwy. 51 when he struck a man walking in the roadway. Phillip A. Manning, 21, of Sikeston, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Although Faries claimed he was the driver, Gibson said "he was not able to offer much information about the crash." Through downloading internally recorded information from the vehicle's onboard computer, it was determined that the car, a 2009 Cadillac XLR, had been traveling in excess of 100 mph at the time of the accident.
"Further information revealed cultivated doubt that Garey Faries was driving the vehicle at the time of the crash," Gibson said at the time.
A witness to the accident came forward as well, stating that the senior Faries arrived on the scene after the accident occurred. Further investigation revealed that Wesley G. Faries, 39, had actually been driving the vehicle at the time of the fatal accident. The younger Faries eventually told authorities that his father, Garey, had agreed to identify himself as the driver of the vehicle. Both men were subsequently placed under arrest. Wesley Faries was charged with felony first degree involuntary manslaughter. His father was charged with hindering prosecution of a felony. Both eventually posted bonds and were released.
On Feb. 21, Stoddard County Prosecuting Attorney Russ Oliver filed a motion for the appointment of a special prosecutor in both cases. Andrew Lawson, the New Madrid County PA, was appointed by the court to taker over both cases.
Lawson was in court on Nov. 1, along with Rance Butler representing Wesley Faries and Briney Welborn representing Garey Faries.