Jessie Morris: Man who killed Brielle Biermann’s best friend Ethan McCallister in hit-and-run gets 5 years
ATLANTA, GEORGIA: The man who killed Brielle Biermann's best friend Ethan McCallister in a hit-and-run crash has reportedly been sentenced to five years in prison.
Deputies from the Atlanta Police Department apprehended Jessie Morris on August 11, 2021, at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport after he arrived on a flight from the Dominican Republic. The 31-year-old initially pleaded not guilty to three charges, including homicide by vehicle in the first degree, hit and run resulting in serious injury or death, and providing a false statement. However, the latest court records indicate he has since negotiated a plea deal and was sentenced last month.
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According to The Sun, the final disposition shows Morris received a total of 15 years, with the first five to be served in confinement and the rest on probation. The perp's mugshot, previously obtained by the newspaper, showed the tattooed felon wearing a grey and yellow t-shirt. Police confirmed how 28-year-old Ethan was struck while walking on Piedmont Road near Lindbergh Drive, Atlanta around 3 am on April 3, 2021. He was rushed to hospital but later succumbed to his injuries. Authorities subsequently spent months appealing to the public for assistance in the case. They released a graphic video clip of the incident, showing a dark car speeding away after the crash while leaving a trail of white smoke. Seconds later, another pedestrian was seen running across the road as they tried to avoid being struck by the out-of-control vehicle.
Following the incident, the driver anonymously told local reporters, "I was really shocked, and I was really scared, I was shaking. I just called 911." Meanwhile, a police spokesperson said in a statement at the time, "A witness at the scene supplied video from a dashcam that shows the suspect vehicle, a gray Jeep Grand Cherokee, immediately after striking McCallister. The suspect vehicle continued to drive at a high rate of speed and nearly struck another pedestrian."
Ethan's loved ones held a celebration of life in his memory and raised more than $72,000 for his family through a GoFundMe campaign. Brielle, 25, shared a number of photos with her mother Kim Zolciak-Biermann, as well as other friends and family wearing black as they mourned Ethan's demise. "I am so thankful for my family and friends," Brielle wrote alongside the photos. "While losing Ethan has been the hardest thing I've ever gone thru, I am finding comfort knowing how much love and support I have."
The former 'Don't Be Tardy' star previously shared a gallery of photos of her late friend.
"Ethan... I can’t believe I’m even writing this. I’m sick sick sick to my stomach," she wrote, "You are my happiness my joy my light in this very dark world.. the life of the party, and the sweetest soul I've been blessed to know. You are my best friend. My heart. My everything. There will never be another you. Ever ever ever. You came into this world with 1 mission... make people smile. You were damn good at it too. There was never a moment I wasn’t laughing with you!! We haven’t spent a weekend apart all year!!! She added, "How am I supposed to go anywhere without you? How am I supposed to laugh, smile, GO TO MIAMI OR DRINK 1942 WITHOUT YOU!? God, I love you, Ethan. I really really do. I can’t wait to see you again."
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Brielle has suffered a series of blows in the past year, dealing with her own health maladies. In June, she was hospitalized with food poisoning, just months after she underwent surgery on her jaw. Kim's eldest daughter shared photos of herself being hooked up to IVs in a hospital bed, telling her followers she "wouldn't wish this upon my worst enemy."