Grand jury to consider vehicular homicide charge in Walton Way bicyclist’s death

Tyquavious Walker. Photo courtesy the Richmond County Sheriff's Department

Date: June 08, 2022

A vehicular homicide charge against an Augusta man accused of hitting a bicyclist on Walton Way in front of the judicial center will be considered by the grand jury for possible indictment.

At the conclusion of a preliminary hearing in Richmond County Civil Court, Chief Judge Carletta Sims Brown determined probable cause existed to send the charge against Tyquavious Walker, 26, to the grand jury for its determination.

Walker was arrested the night of May 7 about a mile up from the place where Randolf Brinson, 62, died just before 11 p.m.

MORE: Suspect who killed Augusta pedestrian has history of DUI and speeding charges

Tuesday, Deputy James Champion testified that the security cameras at the Augusta Richmond County Judicial Center and John H. Ruffin Jr. Courthouse captured what happened that night. Brinson was traveling east on a bicycle when he was struck from behind by a pickup truck, Champion said. Witnesses reported seeing Walker get out of the truck and look at the damage then he got back inside the truck and drove off.

Walker told Champion he thought someone had thrown a rock at his truck and didn’t know he had hit anyone. A preliminary alcohol sensor test reading was .19, Champion said. Walker also consented to blood and urine tests, too.

MORE: Crime Map: More than 230 crimes reported in Richmond County during the last week of May

Walker has no felony history, but he has traffic violations and a pending 2019 charge for driving under the influence.

The judge granted Walker bond under pretrial supervision, alcohol and drug assessment and treatment if warranted with random drug and alcohol testing. He is not to drive while charges are pending. Sims Brown set the bond at $20,000.

Sandy Hodson is a staff reporter covering courts for The Augusta Press. Reach her at sandy@theaugustapress.com. 

What to Read Next

The Author

Award-winning journalist Sandy Hodson The Augusta Press courts reporter. She is a native of Indiana, but she has been an Augusta resident since 1995 when she joined the staff of the Augusta Chronicle where she covered courts and public affairs. Hodson is a graduate of Ball State University, and she holds a certificate in investigative reporting from the Investigative Reporters and Editors organization. Before joining the Chronicle, Hodson spent six years at the Jackson, Tenn. Sun. Hodson received the prestigious Georgia Press Association Freedom of Information Award in 2015, and she has won press association awards for investigative reporting, non-deadline reporting, hard news reporting, public service and specialty reporting. In 2000, Hodson won the Georgia Bar Association’s Silver Gavel Award, and in 2001, she received Honorable Mention for the same award and is a fellow of the National Press Foundation and a graduate of the National Institute for Computer-Assisted Reporting boot camp.

Comment Policy

The Augusta Press encourages and welcomes reader comments; however, we request this be done in a respectful manner, and we retain the discretion to determine which comments violate our comment policy. We also reserve the right to hide, remove and/or not allow your comments to be posted.

The types of comments not allowed on our site include:

  • Threats of harm or violence
  • Profanity, obscenity, or vulgarity, including images of or links to such material
  • Racist comments
  • Victim shaming and/or blaming
  • Name calling and/or personal attacks;
  • Comments whose main purpose are to sell a product or promote commercial websites or services;
  • Comments that infringe on copyrights;
  • Spam comments, such as the same comment posted repeatedly on a profile.