BY KEITH EPPS

A man charged in a horrific fatal head-on crash in North Stafford was ordered Friday to be jailed without bond.

Joshua Scott Fitzpatrick, 23, of King George County is charged with aggravated involuntary manslaughter in Monday's crash. He is accused of crossing a double yellow line on U.S. 1 near Telegraph Road and striking a car driven by Stafford County resident Naden Rehman. Rehman, 38, died in the crash.

Fitzpatrick had been released on a $5,000 bond set by a magistrate after the accident. But Commonwealth's Attorney Eric Olsen appealed that decision, and Judge Michael Levy Friday ruled that Fitzpatrick be held without bond.

According to the evidence, Deputy M.R. Flick had just finished writing a ticket shortly after midnight Monday when a swerving truck veered toward him. The deputy jumped out of the way, then headed after the northbound truck.

About a minute later, the truck crossed into the southbound lanes and hit an Infinity driven by Rehman.

Fitzpatrick and his fiance survived the crash. His arm was in a sling Friday when he appeared in Stafford General District Court.

Olsen suggested that Fitzpatrick's addiction to pain pills was responsible for the crash. He said in court that Fitzpatrick told Trooper N.W. Koslicki that he was on his way from King George to Richmond, a trip that wouldn't have taken him anywhere near North Stafford.

Olsen said Fitzpatrick had gotten four different doctors to prescribe him 909 oxycodone pills over a recent 36-day period, and he was also taking Valium and methadone.

"He obviously has a horrible addiction, and we can't take a chance of this being revisited on another family," Olsen said.

Defense attorney Eugene Frost said Fitzpatrick had lawfully prescribed medication and there was no evidence that he abused them. He also said his client is not a flight risk and was suffering from a concussion when he talked to Koslicki.

"It's a horribly unfortunate circumstance," Frost said. "But he does deserve a bond."

A preliminary hearing for Fitzpatrick is scheduled for July 13. Frost indicated that he will appeal Levy's bond decision to Circuit Court.

Keith Epps: 540/374-5404
Email: kepps@freelancestar.com