Miami Herald, The (FL)
2007-01-20
Section: Broward & State
Edition: Broward
Page: 5B
Trenton Daniel, tdaniel@MiamiHerald.com
A Miami-Dade police officer accused of leaving the scene of a fatal highway crash in Davie in October entered a plea of not guilty Friday. MichaelAlayon, a Miami-Dade police detective and Hialeah resident, is charged with fleeing the Oct. 10 accident that led to the death of Ryland “Rick” Nye, 54.
Alayon‘s 1998 Lexus GS300 was abandoned after rear-ending Nye’s 1992 Chevrolet Blazer around 3 a.m. on I-595 near Flamingo Road in Davie.
Authorities say Alayon was behind the wheel.
Alayon claims the car had been stolen. He reported the theft several hours after the early morning accident.
Nye’s family members have followed the case closely.
On Friday morning, Nye’s daughter, Candice, sat in on the hearing before Judge Marc Gold at the Broward County Courthouse with her aunt and step-mother, each of them wearing buttons on their shirts that read: In loving memory of Rick Nye.
Alayon did not appear at the hearing. Instead he submitted a written plea.
“Once again, he’s dodging the press and the family,” said Candice Nye-Jones, who earlier this month had confronted Alayon outside the Broward main jail.
On Friday, defense attorney Sam Rabin said he didn’t do anything unusual by mailing his plea.
“That’s my normal practice and procedure,” said Rabin. “He’s able to avoid confrontation with family members whenever he makes appearances connected with the case.”
Alayon, 28, has been suspended from the Dade police force without pay.
His trial is tentatively set for June 4.