Suspected drunk driver accused of killing Goucher College student apologetic in court, held without bond
BALTIMORE -- The man suspected of killing a Goucher College student in an alleged drunk driving incident was in court Wednesday for a bail hearing.
A Towson District Court judge said 57-year-old Richard Mays of Towson will be held without bail in the interest of public safety.
Baltimore County Police say Mays was under the influence of alcohol when he struck 24-year-old Eliza Grover while she was on the sidewalk.
Officers responded around 4:20 p.m. Saturday to the 800 block of Providence Road, where they said Grover was struck while on the sidewalk. She was pronounced dead on the scene.
In an emotional outburst in court, Mays said through tears, "I'm so, so sorry."
However, the judge showed him no response because of his decades-long history of alcohol-related charges.
He was required to have an interlock on his car but was driving a work vehicle. Mays' blood alcohol level was allegedly twice the legal limit when he jumped the sidewalk and Grover was struck and killed.
"I looked out the window and I could see the truck parked and he was kind of pulling a pole and it looked like there was a woman in the ground but I couldn't tell," said Vinita Porter, who lives in the neighborhood.
In the bond hearing, Mays' defense attorney said he struggles with alcoholism and is remorseful.
Last May, he pleaded guilty in Cecil County to a drunk driving incident, according to court records.
He was required by the court to have an ignition interlock with a breathalyzer in all personal vehicles.
Porter said her own family is now weary of walking on the sidewalk, telling WJZ that the section of Providence Road has seen tragedy before, where a driver struck and killed a crossing guard in 2021.
"She was a lovely woman, she was in her 70s, in perfect health," Porter said. "She loved what she did."
Mays' trial is scheduled for November 22.
Mays also has a sentencing for the Cecil County charges in December.
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