Anniston man said he was texting when he struck and killed Florida man

Oxford police have charged a 23-year-old Anniston man with manslaughter in a Sunday night hit-and-run that killed a 47-year-old Florida man.  Rodrick Jamar Montgomery was booked into Oxford City Jail Tuesday evening. Montgomery is also charged with leaving the scene of an accident and texting while driving.  According to Police chief Bill Partridge, Montgomery admitted to investigators that he had been texting while driving at the time of the crash, which took place between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. Sunday. Evening as he was traveling north on Barry Street when his car veered and hit Panama City, Fla., resident Ricky Lee Suddarth, who had been walking on the side of the road. Montgomery told investigators he fled the scene because he was scared.  Investigators were able to give police a description of Montgomery’s vehicle — a tan 2004 Ford Explorer — from debris found at the scene. Patrol officers found the SUV at Somerset Place apartments, which is about a mile away from the scene of the crash. The front passenger side of the Explorer had a dented hood and broken headlight.