The State Attorney reported on Friday that a Bradenton man who struck a Cortez fisherman with his pickup truck during a dispute was found guilty of the hit-and-run accident-related charges.
According to a report from the Manatee County Sheriff's Office, David Lynn Nichols, 60, got into a fight with fisherman Freddy Gilliland on November 18, 2019, close to the 4500 block of 101st Street West, down the road from the Cortez fishing village, before hitting him with his Chevrolet pickup truck.
Deputies said David Nichols hit the victim with his truck and dragged him for several feet.
The defendant's vehicle had fresh damage to the front end, with visible damage to the hood. According to the arrest report, the deputies said Nichols did not call 911 to report the accident or help the victim.
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Gilliland suffered life-threatening injuries at the time of the accident.
He had his right arm amputated. Doctors removed his spleen. He has a lacerated liver, multiple rib fractures, a collapsed left lung, and numerous facial injuries.
The prosecutors in the case, Assistant State Attorneys Arthur Brown and Garrett Franzen, commented, "We are pleased with the jury's verdict in this case, and we hope this brings some sense of justice and closure to Mr. Gilliland, whose life has been forever changed by the injuries inflicted on him that night by the defendant. We thank the men and women of the Manatee County Sheriff's Office for their hard work on this case. "
