Three Navy Sailors Sentenced for Manslaughter, Racing After 2020 Chesapeake Boulevard Crash

NORFOLK, Va. – Today, the last of three co-defendants involved in a 2020 street racing crash that killed 59-year-old Lester Van Toliver was sentenced in Norfolk Circuit Court. 26-year-old Jamal Tyreek Jones was sentenced to one and a half active years in prison after pleading guilty to involuntary manslaughter and causing the death of another by racing. 23-year-olds Kylan Treonte Anderson-Jackson and Joshua Owen Spence were sentenced last month to three active years and one active year, respectively.

On April 5, 2020, a woman was driving west on Bunsen Court in the Norview area with Mr. Toliver in the front passenger seat. She crossed Chesapeake Boulevard toward Middleton Place when Mr. Anderson-Jackson’s vehicle crashed into hers on her passenger side. Mr. Anderson-Jackson, Mr. Spence, and Mr. Jones in separate vehicles had been driving southbound at a speed of at least 70 miles per hour across three lanes of traffic when the collision happened.

Mr. Anderson-Jackson’s vehicle and the woman’s vehicle both ran off the road into nearby bushes before coming to rest. Arriving emergency personnel had to remove Mr. Toliver and the woman from their vehicle, and Mr. Toliver died from his injuries.

Footage of the crash was captured by a witness with a dashboard camera as well as Norview High School's exterior security cameras. After Mr. Anderson-Jackson was arrested, he confessed in an interview with investigators that he was racing the co-defendants well over the 40 miles per hour speed limit.

On Dec. 5, 2022, Mr. Anderson-Jackson pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter, felony racing resulting in serious bodily injury, and reckless driving, and Judge Tasha D. Scott accepted his plea. On June 2, 2023, Judge Scott sentenced him to three active years in prison with an additional eight years suspended on the conditions that Mr. Anderson-Jackson complete five years of uniform good behavior and three years of supervised probation.

On Nov. 14, 2022, Mr. Spence pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and misdemeanor racing, and Judge Scott accepted his plea. Also on June 2, 2023, Judge Scott sentenced him to one active year in prison with an additional five years suspended on the conditions that Mr. Spence complete three years of uniform good behavior and one year of supervised probation.

On Dec. 15, 2022, Mr. Jones pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and misdemeanor racing, and Judge Robert B. Rigney accepted his plea. On Friday, Judge Rigney sentenced him to one and a half active years in prison with an additional three and a half years suspended on the condition that Mr. Jones complete two years of uniform good behavior.

Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Graham M. Stolle prosecuted Mr. Anderson-Jackson’s and Mr. Spence’s cases, and Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Melinda F. Seemar prosecuted Mr. Jones’ case on behalf of the Commonwealth.

###