A Glasgow woman was sentenced last month to a decade in prison for a drunk driving crash that killed a 24-year-old nearly two years ago. The victim, who also lived in Glasgow, was stopped at a red light on Veterans Outer Loop when the 49-year-old rear-ended her with her Cadillac.
The defendant had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of over .26% (more than triple the legal limit) hours after the fatal crash, according to the toxicology report from the Kentucky State Police. She was originally charged with murder. However, she reached an agreement with Barren County prosecutors in September to plead guilty to charges of second-degree manslaughter and driving under the influence. Therefore, the case did not go to trial.
The Barren County Commonwealth attorney said that he offered the defendant the plea deal after receiving permission from the victim’s family. The prosecutor noted that had the case gone to trial, the jury could have returned a verdict for the second-degree manslaughter charge instead of murder, even though he felt he had sufficient evidence for a murder conviction.
Although they had originally wanted to see the woman go to trial, he says the family ultimately “informed me of their desire to have this case resolved.” He says the 10-year sentence is the maximum the woman could receive for the charges.
The defendant’s attorney had filed a motion last summer to suppress the evidence against his client involving the blood sample that showed her highly elevated blood alcohol level. He argued that the search warrant for the sample was too vaguely worded. However, that motion was never heard in court.
Seeing someone who was responsible for the injury or death of a loved one held criminally responsible can help families feel that some amount of justice was done. It can also help them hold the person civilly liable so that they can seek compensation for expenses and damages.
However, it may still be possible to do that even if the person isn’t charged with or convicted of a crime. An experienced attorney can provide guidance regarding your options.