Audrain Co. man accused in trooper’s death asks for bond reduction

The man charged in connection to a Highway Patrol trooper’s death in Audrain County is now asking for a bond reduction.

20-year-old Serghei Comerzan is charged with involuntary manslaughter in the death of 25-year-old trooper James Bava.

Officials said Comerzan was on a motorcycle and tried to escape Bava, who was following him for speeding in August 2015.

Bava ended up crashing on Highway FF near the Boone Co. line and died the same day.

A motion to lower Comerzan’s $250,000 cash only bond was entered Tuesday.

The motion said while Comerzan was allegedly speeding to avoid Trooper Bava, evidence shows that when Bava turned on his lights and siren, Bava didn’t have Comerzan in sight.

The motion reads that Bava radioed in that he met a motorcycle traveling at a high rate of speed and he was going to look for him on Highway FF. The motion said there is no evidence that Bava ever had Comerzan in view after he initially saw him.

The motion says Bava “chose to ‘look for’ the motorcyclist by driving an extremely reckless and high rate of speed in an effort to catch up to the motorcycle. He posed a potential risk to life and limb of others, including himself, in his effort to ‘find’ the motorcyclist.”

The motion also claims if Bava didn’t have Comerzan in sight, he couldn’t have known where he was, and therefore was breaking the law and all Highway Patrol regulations and training regarding pursuing a speeder.

Comerzan’s lawyer asked the court to add a special bond condition including one of the following: Comerzan be fit with a GPS monitor and only allowed to go to work and school, confined to house arrest but allowed to work, or not drive a motorcycle while on bond.