Cierra Dickerson appears in a Prince William County courtroom on July 1 to enter a plea after being charged in the racing death of a Woodbridge woman.
Dickerson is charged with the death of Deborah Lynn Talbot, who was walking her dog along Cardinal Drive on May 1, 2020. Police said Dickerson was racing her car when she struck and killed Talbot.
Dickerson is charged with involuntary manslaughter, which carries a potential sentence of up to 10 years in prison and a $2,500 fine.
Dickerson’s case was set to go to trial in February, however, it was withdrawn. A status hearing one month later was postponed.
“The case is set for a plea. If she enters a plea of ‘no contest’ or ‘guilty,’ there will not be a trial,” Prince William Commonwealth Attorney Amy Ashworth told Potomac Local News.
On Monday, family and friends gathered at the accident site. A banner has been put in place to remind drivers on Cardinal to slow down to save a life.
Lori Rulapaugh, a friend of Talbot, emailed Potomac Local News:
To this day, cars are driving at high speeds along Cardinal [Drive] with minimal presence of police to ensure that drivers are in compliance of the stated speed. There was a lot of media about this event last year and an update regarding the memorial and updated status of the sentencing to the community for awareness purposes would be greatly appreciated. The sidewalks along Cardinal Drive are popular with joggers and walkers. Speeding has long been a problem on Cardinal Drive, especially between the light at Waterway Drive and Benita Fitzgerald Drive.
