Executive Summary
- Melvin Battle sentenced to five years of probation for fatal 2023 crash.
- Victim Todd Tennison was struck near I-44 and Kansas Expressway in Springfield.
- Defendant entered an Alford plea after initially denying involvement to investigators.
- Suspect was identified and located following a cross-state investigation.
A Missouri judge has sentenced a North Carolina truck driver to five years of probation following a fatal incident in September 2023 where a pedestrian was struck and killed near a Springfield intersection.
According to investigators, the victim, identified as 51-year-old Todd Tennison, was sitting on the ground near the intersection of Kansas Expressway and Interstate 44 when he was struck. Authorities stated the incident occurred as the semi-truck was turning out of a Walmart Supercenter parking lot on September 29, 2023.
A witness reportedly followed the vehicle to West Kearney Street and informed the driver, identified as Melvin Battle of Fayetteville, North Carolina, that he had struck something. While Battle reportedly told the witness he would check the situation, law enforcement officers were unable to locate the semi-truck at the scene initially.
Following a cross-state investigation, authorities located Battle during an inspection in his home state. Investigators noted that Battle was uncooperative and denied involvement in the crash or interacting with the witness. Court records confirm Battle entered an Alford plea in October.
Judicial Disposition
The sentencing resolves the legal proceedings against Battle, who entered an Alford plea—a legal mechanism wherein a defendant maintains innocence but acknowledges the prosecution possesses sufficient evidence to secure a conviction. The court has ordered a five-year probation term for the fatality. It is important to note that under the U.S. justice system, all individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
