Birmingham man who injured Sen. Joe Manchin’s wife in police chase crash pleads guilty to gun charge

A Birmingham man charged in a car crash that injured Gayle Manchin, the wife of U.S. Senator Joe Manchin, has pleaded guilty to a federal gun crime.

Traddarryl Rishad Boykins, 32, entered his plea before U.S. District Judge L. Scott Coogler for being a felon in possession of a firearm, as announced Wednesday by Northern District of Alabama U.S. Attorney Prim Escalona and ATF Special Agent in Charge Marcus Watson.

Boykins still faces multiple state charges related to the January crash, which occurred during a police chase that began in Homewood and ended in Birmingham.

On January 29, 2024, Homewood police officers attempted to pull Boykins over due to outstanding warrants. He failed to stop, leading to a high-speed chase along Green Springs Highway at speeds reaching 80 mph. He drove on the wrong side of the road, ran red lights, and jumped curbs, according to authorities.

The pursuit continued onto Interstate 65 and exited at 17th Street in Birmingham. Boykins collided with the vehicle carrying Gayle Manchin and her colleague, Guy Land. Manchin, who was a passenger, suffered a broken sternum and internal bleeding, while Land sustained eight broken ribs and a broken hand.

At the time of the crash, Boykins had a .40-caliber pistol on the floorboard of his vehicle, which matched the firearm used in a previous shooting incident in Homewood. Due to prior felony convictions for robbery and burglary, he is prohibited from possessing a firearm.

The case was investigated by the ATF and the Homewood Police Department, with Assistant U.S. Attorney William R. McComb handling the prosecution. A sentencing date has not yet been set.