Valerie Bray Pleads Guilty In Death Of Well-Known Runner Cameron Bean

  • Tuesday, December 6, 2016

A long-time Moccasin Bend Hospital employee pleaded guilty on Tuesday morning in connection with the death of well-known runner Cameron Bean.

Ms. Bray pleaded guilty to criminally negligent homicide and leaving the scene of an accident with a fatality involved.

Defense attorney Bill Speek said she faces one-two years on each charge at a sentencing hearing on Feb. 1 at 1:30 p.m.

A vehicle driven by Ms. Bray struck and killed the former Baylor school runner on the evening of Sept. 19, 2015 as he ran at Moccasin Bend.  

Attorney Speek said Ms. Bray thought she saw a deer and veered to avoid it.  He said she stopped to look for a deer, but went on when she did not see one.  

The victim was knocked into a nearby ditch.  Attorney Speek said several cars drove by without seeing the victim and one bicycle went past the scene.  He said the second bicyclist saw a shoe in the road and then discovered Mr. Bean in the ditch.

Attnorney Speek said, "This is a case of two marvelous personalities.  Unfortunately, they had to meet in this way."  He said Ms. Bray "is so distraught over this incident.  She feels there was some negligence involved.  She wants to move past this and not cause any more pain for the Bean family."  

He said Ms. Bray had worked 20 years on second shift at Moccasin Bend, as well as raising several daughters.

He said she had gone out for a dinner break and was bringing back a meal for the entire staff.

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