Photo: Placer County
The Placer County CEO who is being alleged as the driver that killed a teenager in Rocklin back on March 19th is now admitting his role in the investigation. Rocklin Police announced Thursday that they have concluded the investigation into the accident and found the driver was not at fault and no charges are stemming from their investigation. Friday afternoon, in a statement from Placer County, CEO Todd Leopold admitted he was the driver of the car that struck and killed 18-year old Interkum High School student Anthony Williams.
According to the Sacramento Bee on Friday morning, a planned demonstration protesting the handling of this case by the Rocklin Police Department is being held at the site of Williams' death Friday at 4pm. Public outcry following the departments conclusion of the case called for more transparency from the department because they would not release the police report to the public or the name of the driver in the accident. Earlier, Leopold could not publicly accept or deny the allegations made by an advocacy group due to the ongoing investigation. Now, Leopold is coming forward to accept the claims and wish his condolences to the family.
A Facebook post in an advocacy group for "Justice For Anthony" first claimed the Placer County official was the driver in the incident and called for an investigation. They made that claim based on witness statements from the accident. The rally is still planned for Friday afternoon at the site of a makeshift memorial for Williams on Lonetree Boulevard near the Blue Oaks Town Center shopping area.
Here is the statement sent to KFBK from the Placer County CEO Todd Leopold:
"With profound sadness, I can now publicly acknowledge that I was the driver of the vehicle involved in the accident that resulted in the death of Anthony Williams on March 19, 2022. My words and emotions cannot adequately express my profound grief and sadness. I am heartbroken for the loss of this young man and extend my sincere condolences to Mr. Williams’ family, friends, and all of those impacted by this tragic accident. Many individuals have questioned why I didn’t provide an official response to media requests for identification of the driver. Unfortunately, I could not comment on the pending investigation and certainly did not want to be perceived, in any way, as attempting to influence the outcome of the Rocklin Police Department’s investigation. At all times, I balance my respect for the investigative process while also providing transparency to you, our valued staff, as well as to our valued public.Now that the Rocklin Police Department has completed the investigation, I acknowledge the great suffering of Mr. Williams’ family, friends and all who have been impacted by the accident. My thoughts and prayers are with them."