A man charged with intoxication manslaughter in a Thanksgiving Day 2017 bicycle-vehicle fatality pleaded guilty last week and was sentenced to 12 years in prison.

Killed in the Nov. 23, 2017 wreck was Cameron Owen Randle, 34, of Wylie who was riding his bicycle at 2:37 a.m. in the northbound lanes of FM 544 in Murphy and was struck from behind by a Ford Focus driven by Wilfred Manatsa, 27, of Murphy.

Randle was reportedly unresponsive when emergency medical personnel arrived and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Manatsa was arrested at the scene and transported to jail.

The victim was an army veteran and worked at the University of Texas-Dallas Library. He worked an overnight shift and regularly rode his bicycle in the early-morning hours, family members said.

Murphy Police Chief Arthur Cotton reported that Manatsa was intoxicated and registered a .303 blood-alcohol percentage, four times more than the legal limit. He also had THC in his system, the chief noted.

The defendant was scheduled for trial last week and entered the guilty plea Monday, Nov. 12.

For more stories like this, see the Nov. 22 issue or subscribe online.

From Staff Reports • [email protected]