TEXARKANA, Texas --A trial date was set Monday for a Texarkana man accused of intentionally hitting a pedestrian with his truck on State Line Avenue in January 2021.
Montavious Sharp, 23, appeared Monday before 202nd District Judge John Tidwell for a pretrial hearing in his murder case. Sharp is accused of purposely ramming his Dodge pickup into Cedrigch Traylor, 35, as he walked Jan. 9, 2021, on a sidewalk along State Line Avenue near the intersection with West 21st Street, according to a probable cause affidavit.
Tidwell scheduled the case for jury selection March 28 at the Bowie County courthouse in New Boston after Assistant District Attorney Randle Smolarz informed the court there are no outstanding crime lab reports or other impediments to moving forward.
Sharp has been held in the Bowie County jail since his arrest. He was initially charged with aggravated assault but the charge was increased to murder after Traylor's death at a local hospital.
Sharp allegedly was upset with Traylor over a work-related issue.
A witness who stopped to render aid to Traylor reportedly told police the collision between truck and man was intentional.
After the crash, investigators noted a large amount of debris from the pickup scattered about the accident scene. A pair of rubber boots, a fishing rod and a hatchet believed to belong to Traylor were found as well.
Sharp's parents reportedly brought him back to the crash scene where he was taken into custody. A pair of keys to a Dodge truck allegedly were found in his pocket.
The truck was discovered behind a church in the 2500 block of Maple Street. It reportedly had significant front-end damage, a flat tire and a fishing reel embedded in the grill.
Sharp faces five to 99 years or life in prison if found guilty of murder. Bail is set at $1 million.