Jury selection began recently in Colorado Springs for the trial of a woman alleged to have dragged a tow truck driver for more than a mile in February 2011. Prosecutors say the tow truck driver was hooking up a sport utility vehicle to tow it out of an illegal parking space when the woman who owned the SUV got in the vehicle and drove off.

Witnesses to the fatal car accident state that the man's leg became tangled in a tow cable he had connected to the SUV. The man was dragged behind the vehicle for over a mile before his legs were "severed" from his body.

The woman is charged with manslaughter, vehicular homicide, reckless endangerment, leaving the scene of a car accident, reckless driving, failure to obey a traffic control device, failing to stop for a stop sign, unsafe or defective vehicle and unregistered vehicle.

In addition to the criminal charges, the tow truck driver's widow has filed a lawsuit against the woman, claiming wrongful death. The suit seeks damages for the woman's negligent and careless actions.

Since the accident, the woman's relatives have said she was unaware that she was dragging the man behind her.

On Jan. 30, 2012, the judge in the case ruled the trial would not be delayed, even though two pieces of electronic evidence are missing. According to the woman's lawyers, the missing DVDs showed police interviewing people who witnessed the man's death.

The lawyers say the missing DVDs contained evidence that witnesses have changed their initial stories. The evidence would have helped the woman's case, her attorneys allege. Transcripts of the interviews are still available.

The judge agreed there was an evidence violation, but said the trial will continue. He said the woman's attorneys can question police officers about the missing DVDs.

Source: ABC 7 News, "Jury Selection Under Way In Dragging Death of Tow Truck Driver," Deb Stanley, Jan. 31, 2012.