Megan Dail's Mother Takes the Stand in Blackwell Trial

DURHAM — The mother of a 4-year-old child killed by an alleged drunk driver testified in a Durham court Tuesday. She and the accused killer were not the only ones shedding tears as she recalled details of the accident that took her daughter's life.

Timothy Blackwell wiped tears from his eyes during his trial for first degree murder in the death of Megan Dail.

Tuesday Sherry Dail, the victim's mother pointed out Blackwell as the man who killed her child and gave the jury details of her last moments with Megan.

Just moments after strapping the child into the family's minivan, the Dail family was forever altered.

Also Tuesday, the prosecution set out to prove that Blackwell was driving recklessly before the February, 1997 accident. Monday, a truck driver testified that he had placed a call to 9-1-1 on the day of the accident to report that Blackwell was driving his pickup truck dangerously on the road.

It was just over a year ago that Blackwell's red pickup slammed into the Dail's minivan, killing the young girl. Blackwell, who investigators say was drunk at the time, is only the second person to be tried on murder charges in North Carolina in a drunk driving incident.

Charlie Williams took the witness stand Tuesday morning and testified that Blackwell's truck ran him off the road before the fatal accident occurred.

Soon after Williams pulled himself together and got back on the road, he says he came upon the accident.

Williams stopped when he saw the accident and gave an interview to police.

Testimony for the prosecution is expected to last throughout this week.