'You took my child away from me': Jay’quan Reid's mom lashes out as Katiyah Hines gets 179 days in jail after killing her son in car crash
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA: Keisha Reid, the mother of Jay’quan, who died in a deadly crash on August 22, 2022, is outraged at the driver, Katiyah Hines, who pleaded guilty to drunk driving during the crash. The mother of the 24-year-old victim blasted the woman driver after she was sentenced to 179 days in jail on Thursday, April 6, in a Mecklenburg County courtroom. Keisha said, "How do you sleep at night? You can’t even look at me!”
Hines, a hair stylist who runs her business with brand name Braid Barbie, pleaded guilty to being under the influence of alcohol but was set free because she was sentenced to 179 days in jail, which she had already served while awaiting her day in court, reported DailyMail. According to Reid's family, Jay'quan and Hines were friends at the time of the deadly crash. Jay'quan, a father of two, was seated in the passenger seat when the accident occurred, and died on the scene, as per WCNC.
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'You took my child away from me'
As Hines stood in the courtroom, Keisha lashed out at her saying, "You took my child away from me; you could have made a better decision. My granddaughter was six months at the time; she will never know her father's voice. My grandson was one; he does not sleep; I have not had a peaceful sleep since August the 22nd."
What happened on August 22, 2022?
On August 22, 2022, at around 12.45 am, Hines was driving a Hyundai Venue on Pat Garrett Street, off Statesville Avenue, when she hit two parked cars on the side of the road. After the collision, her car flipped, and Reid ended up dying on the spot. While Katiyah was transported to the hospital with minor injuries.
There were no people in the other two parked cars, but all vehicles sustained heavy damage. According to WCCB Charlotte, at the scene, police located a grey 2021 Hyundai Venue with heavy damage, a black 2010 Honda Accord with heavy left side damage, and a silver 2004 Lexus ES330 in the roadway with rear-end damage. The officials also stated that neither Hines nor Reid was wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash, reports QueenCity News. During the investigation, authorities determined Hines was impaired and speeding. She was later arrested and charged with felony death by vehicle, reports Charlotte Alerts.
However, Hines told investigators that Reid pulled the steering wheel to the right, which caused the crash. Following this, prosecutors said they could not prove that Hines’ impairment directly caused the crash. After the court hearing, Reid's family said Hines' punishment was way too lenient and 179 days is not enough. QueenCity News stated, "the family believes the system needs to change when someone’s life is taken."