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CHARLOTTE (MCT) — Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officer Martray Proctor, awaiting trial on a manslaughter charge in connection with a March fatal wreck, has resigned from the force.

Proctor also faces a wrongful death lawsuit that names the city of Charlotte as a defendant as well. A judge has delayed the civil case so the criminal charge can be disposed of first, said David Allen, Proctor's civil attorney. Allen wouldn't comment on the lawsuit, which he said seeks damages in excess of $10,000.

Proctor was charged in April with involuntary manslaughter, accused of killing 20-year-old Shatona Robinson, a popular cafe worker at The Pines retirement home in Davidson.

Proctor, 24, resigned Monday. Police did not respond to questions about why he resigned and whether he faced any disciplinary action.

Criminal attorney, George Laughrun, said Wednesday his client's resignation won't affect the criminal case.

No trial date has been set. Involuntary manslaughter, punishable by 10 months to nearly five years in prison, is often defined as reckless and careless conduct that shows "a thoughtless disregard for consequences or a heedless indifference to the rights and safety of others."

"I've never seen anyone more distraught over what happened in this accident," Laughrun said. "He was a good cop. Not a hothead. He was responding to a call for service. The rest was a tragedy."

Robinson's family could not be reached for comment.

Proctor, who has been cited three times for speeding in North Carolina, was driving his patrol car on Old Statesville Road when he collided with a 1991 Ford Escort driven by Robinson. She died at the scene. Three passengers in her car and Proctor were injured.

Proctor was en route to assist another officer who had made a routine traffic stop. Police Chief Rodney Monroe said Proctor was driving more than 90 mph with the siren off. The speed limit on that part of the road was 45.

Police said they received conflicting statements on whether Proctor had his emergency blue lights on. But an in-car camera that starts automatically when the blue lights come on never activated, police said.

N.C. law and department rules require that officers obey posted speed limits unless their vehicle's blue lights and siren are activated.

Police officers are rarely charged with felonies related to on-duty actions.

In June 2008, Charlotte-Mecklenburg police Officers Gerald Holas and Jason Ross were charged with conspiring to distribute cocaine. The two former officers were each sentenced in May to nine years in prison.

Proctor was ticketed for speeding twice before he became a police officer, according to court records. CMPD said it conducted a background check on Proctor in February 2007 and hired him the next month.

In June 2007, Proctor was stopped in Cleveland County and accused of driving 63 mph in a 35 mph zone, according to court records. The charge was reduced to driving 44 mph in a 35 mph zone. He paid a $15 fine and $110 in court costs, records show.

In October 2005, Gaston County authorities stopped him for driving 86 mph in a 60 mph zone, according to court documents. The charge was later reduced to 74 mph. He received a prayer for judgment, which typically means the driver admits to the infraction but does not receive points on his driver's license. Proctor paid $110 in court costs, records show.

In 2003 in Cleveland County, Proctor paid a $10 penalty and $100 court costs for driving 30 mph in a 20 mph zone, records show.