Woman gets 26 years for fatal crash hours after DUI hearing
Stephanie Ferguson pleaded guilty to her second driving under the influence charge last year, got back on the road and in hours caused a crash that killed two men.
Ferguson, 30, was sentenced Friday to 26 years in prison for the Jan. 22, 2015, crash. Police said a syringe of cocaine was found at the scene and Ferguson had cocaine metabolites in her blood after the crash. She previously pleaded guilty to aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and two counts of aggravated vehicular homicide in the crash that killed Aaron Hall, 66, and Willie Nichols, 64.
Ferguson will have to serve just under eight years in prison before she can be considered for release. Criminal Court Judge Monte Watkins sentenced her.
“She knew on the day this occurred it was illegal for her to drive and she did it anyway," Watkins said. "That seriously bothers the court when someone just thumbs their nose at the system.”
Woman pleaded guilty to DUI before fatal crash
Nichols and Hall were both in their mid-60s, both fathers and husbands. Eight of their family members, including their widows, sat in the front row of Watkins' courtroom during the sentencing.
The crash happened about 11:15 a.m. Not more than two hours before, Ferguson was pleading guilty to her second driving under the influence charge. About the same time, Hall was giving his adult daughter a ride to work.
"I woke up and called my father, Aaron Hall Sr., because I was having car trouble," Jeanitia Harris said during the sentencing. "He stopped what he was doing and he drove me to work.
"He dropped me off and I told him, 'Thanks, Daddy. I’ll see you at 4 o'clock,' not knowing that would be the last time I would see him alive."
The crash occurred at Jefferson Street and Third Avenue N. Court records show Ferguson had earlier pleaded guilty to her second DUI for an arrest in 2013. Court records say
Ferguson was sentenced to serve two days in jail and 11 months and 29 days on probation. Her driver's license had been revoked, officials said.
Ferguson has been in jail since the 2015 wreck. She and her mother spoke at the sentencing. They acknowledged the crash was Ferguson's fault and apologized to Hall and Nichols' family members. Ferguson sobbed during the hearing.
She asked for another chance, saying she had earned her diploma, taken parenting and substance abuse classes while in jail in this case. The mother of two said she snorted cocaine and used heroin three or four doses a day since 2013. She promised to live her life without using drugs if Watkins gave her a short sentence.
"Give me a second chance," she asked. "I just want you to know I take responsibility for everything that’s happened."
Assistant District Attorney General Kyle Anderson pointed out all of her prior chances. He said she had at least five probation violations in three counties and two states, and failed to appear in court on six separate days. Ferguson's lawyer, Laney Heard, said it was Anderson's office that gave Ferguson probation in the previous case that let her get back on the road.
Ferguson's criminal history includes 23 misdemeanor convictions since she was 18 years old, according to Watkins. In Davidson County, records show that includes driver's license revocations and drug charges.
"Nothing seemed to change her from continuing to do the kinds of things she did to get arrested to get convicted," Watkins said. "Back and forth, back and forth. Even on the day this incident occurred.
"After all of these chances that she has been given, nothing’s changed."
Reach Stacey Barchenger at 615-726-8968 or on Twitter @sbarchenger.