Craig Mosher’s 1,800-pound Scottish Highland bull was loose on Route 4 in Killington in July 2015 when it was struck by a car with two people inside.
Jon Bellis, 62, of Connecticut, was behind the wheel and died at the scene. His wife, Kathryn Bellis, was injured.
In the weeks before the fatal collision, police twice responded to reports that Mosher’s bull had gotten loose on Route 4. Minutes before the fatal accident, another motorist called police and said he had narrowly avoided the bull while driving on the road. (That person also notified Mosher that the bull was loose.) A Vermont State Police trooper was en route when the fatal collision occurred.
Mosher will not serve any prison time under a plea agreement finalized in Rutland Superior Court. He received a suspended sentence of six months to one year, with two years of probation.
“The state feels very strongly that [Mosher] should have a criminal conviction for his many opportunities where he knew his 1,800-pound bull got out and walked Route 4,” Rutland County State’s Attorney Rose Kennedy said in a prepared statement. “A guilty plea to reckless endangerment satisfies the state’s needs. [Mosher], like any other animal owner, is responsible for his animals.”
In prepared remarks, Kathryn Bellis said prosecutors should have been more aggressive and pursued a manslaughter charge against Mosher.
“We have been handed a life sentence of loss,” Bellis wrote. “A palpable sadness consumes everyone who has lost Jon. For his children and me, this has been an obliterating loss. We have needed the continuous help of psychiatrists, hospitalizations, outpatient counseling and medications.”
Kennedy’s decision to pursue a criminal charge in the case was criticized by local farmers, who feared that they could face charges whenever their animals escaped, a relatively common occurrence in rural Vermont. Around 50 farmers packed the courtroom for Mosher’s arraignment and clapped in support of him as he left afterward.
In her statement Wednesday, Kennedy said only one other animal owner in Rutland County had been the subject of repeated complaints about escaped animals. After learning of the Mosher case, she said, that owner took steps to better secure the animals.
“This case is not about destroying a way of life, or making a tough life harder, but it is about doing what is necessary to protect human life,” Kennedy said. “If charging the defendant saves one life, it’s worth it.”
Mosher’s lawyer, Paul Volk, could not immediately be reached for comment.
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you can only hope the family goes after him in civil court and sues him for every thing he has
he should pay for this –
i hope he loses his shirt, his land, and every penny he has
he had reckless disregard for the safety of anyone driving on Rt 4
he was warned, he had people at his house that night telling him
this was not some random one time animal got out sort of thing –
he did not care –
he did nothing
that could have been you or me –
there should be a great case to take him to court – he killed someone – as sure has if he pulled trigger
The operator of the vehicle should have been driving in a safe enough manner that they could see and stop for the 1800 pound animal in the road. It’s no different than if there was a moose, a washout, downed tree, or a parked car in the road. What if it had been a child in the road? Should they then sue the parents? The farmer isn’t suing them for (I assume) the death of his bull… People should start being more responsible for their own actions and stop trying to blame others. Perhaps instead of calling the police, some of the callers should have found the farmer and offered to help him herd the bull back in and assist him in fixing the fence.