Talladega county jury acquits man on assault charges in DUI accident

Lucas Wayne Edwards

A Talladega County jury deliberated for just under two hours Tuesday before acquitting a Sylacauga man of misdemeanor assault stemming from a drunk driving incident.  28 year old Lucas Wayne Edwards, was indicted for assault in the first degree and assault in the third degree. According to Assistant District Attorney Christina Kilgore, Circuit Judge Julian King dismissed the assault third charge and instructed the jury to consider the misdemeanor charge in the other case. It was on that count that the jury eventually acquitted.  Kilgore said after the trial, one of the jurors said they were not convinced that Edwards was actually behind the wheel at the time of the accident.  When the crash occurred in 2011, there were two women in the car with Edwards. One suffered a broken back, lacerated liver and other injuries.  Kilgore said Edwards had a drunk driving conviction in 2008. He was involved in a one-vehicle accident in 2013, and pleaded guilty to driving under the influence in that case as well.  His bond was revoked, and he has been in the Talladega County Jail for the past eight months or so awaiting trial on the assault charges.