ROCKBRIDGE COUNTY, Va. – The trial for a Roanoke man indicted in the 2019 Rockbridge County gas station explosion that killed four people has been set.
Philip Ray Westmoreland appeared in Rockbridge County Circuit Court on Tuesday morning. He was indicted on four counts of involuntary manslaughter for the deaths caused by the explosion at the South River Market on May 10, 2019.
Westmoreland is the man who was driving the fuel delivery truck that day, according to Virginia State Police.
In the announcement of his indictment, authorities did not release any information about what caused the deadly explosion.
The market’s owner, Roger Lee Roberts, two employees, Kevin Tate Roberts and Samantha Gail Lewis, as well as a patron, Paul Dewayne Ruley, died in the explosion.
The motion to continue Westmoreland’s jury trial until next year has been approved to allow his attorney enough time to review all of the information in the case.
The trial has been set for March 7 to 26.
Westmoreland has another motions hearing later this year where more information is expected to be released.
According to Westmoreland’s attorney, he maintains his innocence and will be pleading not guilty.
Westmoreland remains out on bail.