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Not guilty plea given in fatal car crash By Chris Bristol An 81-year-old Medford man involved in a fatal car crash last summer has pleaded not guilty to a charge of criminally negligent homicide. Arthur L. Van Derlin appeared Tuesday before Jackson County Judge Patricia Crain, who released him on his own recognizance. Van Derlin, of 33 Portland Ave., was indicted recently by a grand jury for his role in a crash Aug. 1 near White City that claimed the life of 72-year-old Jean Deloris Arias. Arias was headed west on Highway 140 near White City when she slowed down to turn right onto Lakeview Drive and was rear-ended by a car driven by Van Derlin, authorities said. Arias, who was driving alone, suffered massive head and chest trauma and died just after arriving at Providence Medford Medical Center. Van Derlin suffered a broken right arm. His lone passenger, 81-year-old Helen Koutsouros of Medford, was admitted to the hospital for observation. Prosecutor Beth Heckert said a reconstruction of the accident by the Oregon State Police indicated Van Derlin was speeding. She declined to discuss the evidence in more detail. ``The OSP reconstructionist has him (Van Derlin) traveling at a high rate of speed at the time of the accident,�� Heckert said, adding that alcohol was not believed to be a factor. Criminally negligent homicide is a Class C felony under Oregon law. Heckert said Van Derlin faces from 18 months in prison to probation if convicted. His attorney, Jeni Feinberg, did not return a phone call Tuesday seeking comment. The case is the second involving a charge of criminally negligent homicide in Jackson County this year. Earlier this month, 42-year-old Kenneth James Brown was sentenced to two years and three months in prison for his role in a fatal drunken-driving crash near Ashland. Authorities said Brown was behind the wheel Dec. 16 when his pickup truck overturned on Tolman Creek Road, killing passenger Bonnie L. Ryan, 47, of Ashland. In addition to prison, Brown�s sentence included three years of parole, nearly $2,000 in fines and court costs, and an eight-year revocation of his driver�s license. Obituaries | Sports | Business | Classifieds | Tempo | Prime Times | So Oregon Sites | Outdoor Journal | Subscribe | Contact | Movies | Advertise | Real Estate Showcase | Archive | Editorials | Letters to the editor | Religion | Wake-up Call | NIE | Cyber Chef | Job Network | So Oregon Weather | WSJ Northwest | Forums | AP Wire | AP Money | F.A.Q. | Awards Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. The Community Newspaper Subsidiary of Dow Jones & Co, Inc Copyright �The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA