HENRICO COUNTY, Va (WTVR) - The man accused of crashing a vehicle into the Chickahominy River and leaving the scene while two girls were still in the car was arraigned on new felony charges Thursday.
Andrew Walters, 23, has been charged with two counts of felony murder, two counts of involuntary manslaughter, and eluding police in connection to the February crash.
Sisters Amanda Irby and Jessica Gallmeyer died in the crash. The sisters were inseparable, family members said.
"I actually started to cry," Nancy Gallmeyer, Jessica's step mother, said after seeing Walters in court for the first time. "I've been kind of pushing emotions back to get through all this, so first time kind of tapped into it."
"This is my only child, and I loved her with all my heart," Amanda Irby's father said as he held a photo of his daughter outside the courthouse. "She was taken away from me for something that was so stupid and careless."
Walters attorney was not in court Thursday. A tentative trial date was scheduled for June; however, attorneys for both sides will have a status hearing on April 16.
