Driver enters not-guilty plea

A Spokane Valley bar owner pleaded not guilty Monday to charges of vehicular homicide and hit-and-run in connection with a crash that killed a bicyclist earlier this month.

Scott C. Reckord, 49, appeared in Spokane County Superior Court with his attorney, Carl Oreskovich. The initial trial date, which attorneys acknowledged was not likely to be met, was set for June 7.

Reckord, the owner of Sullivan Scoreboard, did not comment after the hearing. He’s charged in connection with a March 1 collision that killed 56-year-old David L. Squires, a father of six who was riding a bicycle through the crosswalk at Division Street and Sprague Avenue.

Witnesses said Reckord was driving his silver Dodge pickup north on Division and hit Squires as Reckord turned west onto Sprague. The collision knocked Squires from his bike, and Reckord’s truck then ran him over, witnesses told police.

A woman and her son chased Reckord’s truck, flashing their lights and honking their horn to get his attention, according to police records. Officers arrested Reckord after he returned to the scene and failed a sobriety test.

“We are just getting started,” Oreskovich said after the short hearing. “The Reckord family extends its sympathies to Mr. Squires’ family. We think this is a tragic accident and not a crime.”

Oreskovich successfully made the same argument when he represented Clifford Helm after a Nov. 1, 2005, crash that killed five children and seriously injured their father, Jeffrey Schrock. A jury acquitted Helm of vehicular homicide charges in March 2008.

Spokane County Deputy Prosecutor Mary Ann Brady said the felony hit-and-run charge carries a sentence of between 31 and 41 months in prison if a person with no previous criminal history is found guilty.

Greg Squires, the victim’s brother, said the arraignment Monday was just the first step in a lengthy legal process. “I think they are just trying to cover for him,” he said of Reckord. “He’s just trying to protect himself.”