DUI Manslaughter Charges in Chief Landers Death
By: Amanda Ashley
Updated: May 30, 2012
The man facing charges in the crash that killed Lowell Police Chief Joe Landers was back behind bars on Tuesday.
Jimmy John Christo, Jr., of Panama City Beach, was arrested and jailed for the hit and run traffic death that occurred April 27th.
The Florida Highway Patrol is charging Jimmy John Christo Jr. with DUI manslaughter.
State Troopers say Christo was attempting to turn his car from Thomas Drive onto Quartz Street when he turned across the west bound lanes of traffic into the path of a motorcycle hitting Lowell, Arkansas Police Chief Joe Landers.
Chief Landers was in town for the Thunder Beach Motorcycle rally the following weekend.
He was critically injured and died a week later at Bay Medical Center.
Authorities arrested Christo a short time later, initially charging him with leaving the scene with injuries, drug possession and possession of drug paraphernalia.
After Landers died, troopers added the charge of leaving the scene of a crash with death.
Tuesday, he was back in the Bay County Jail charged with DUI manslaughter.
Christo is due in court Wednesday for a bond hearing.
The family of Joe Landers posted to their Facebook page Wednesday morning saying:
"Christo was indeed rearrested last night for DUI manslaughter. The blood test results are in for alcohol and he was 2 1/2 - 3 times over legal limit. He is out on the same 10,000 bond and new rules have been added to his bond terms."
