A Carroll man convicted on vehicular homicide and burglary charges is seeking a reduction in the amount of restitution ordered by the courts. On Aug. 31, 2015, 35-year-old Jason Michael Watson was sentenced to 10 years on the vehicular homicide charge and five years for burglary in the third degree, to be served concurrently, as well as to two years for criminal mischief, to run consecutively with the other sentences. He was also ordered to pay more than $191,000 in fines, surcharges and restitution. Earlier this week, Watson filed for relief based on an insurance payment made to the victim’s estate. Watson says that Progressive Direct Insurance Company paid out $1,920 and $14,490.15 to the estate of Evon Eastman from the personal injury protection portion of the policy and $30,000 was paid from the liability coverage. He is asking for the $151,888.46 order for restitution be reduced by that amount. He had also filed requests with the courts for moving forward without prepaying filing fees and for appointment of counsel, as he is incarcerated and cannot afford to pay for representation. The request for counsel has been denied, but a hearing on the motion to modify the restitution amount has been scheduled in the Iowa District Court for Carroll County on June 29. Watson recorded a blood alcohol level of .165, over double the legal limit, on the night of Nov. 5, 2014 when he crashed his SUV north of Coon Rapids, killing his girlfriend, 43-year-old Eastman. Watson also confessed that prior to the accident, he had burglarized a farm residence near Coon Rapids.
