Maryland woman who killed five children in drunk-driving crash gets 18 years: 'I don't deserve to live'
UPPER MARLBORO, MARYLAND: A Maryland woman who pleaded guilty to killing six passengers, including five children, in a drunk-driving crash will spend close to two decades in jail.
MEA WorldWide (MEAWW) previously reported that Dominique Taylor, 33, killed her two children, London Dixon, 8, and Paris Dixon, 5, as well as Zion Beard, 14, Rickelle Ricks, 6, and Damari Herald, 15, who were from Washington D.C., and Cornell D. Simon, 23, when she crashed their car last February.
She lost control of her SUV at around 4.30 am on February 2, 2019, along Route 301 and careened off the side of the road, hitting several trees in the process.
While the vehicle came to halt in a nearby field, all five children, none of who were wearing a seat belt, were thrown out from the back seat. They were all declared dead at the scene. Simon, who was in the front passenger seat, was rushed to the hospital in a critical condition but could not be saved.
Although the roads were icy at the time throughout Maryland, police had refused to say that weather had contributed to the accident. It later emerged that Taylor had left a house party before driving that night and had twice the legal limit of alcohol in her system.
Facing up to 30 years in prison, Taylor took a plea deal and pleaded guilty to six counts of motor vehicle manslaughter this past September. The deal saw her skip a trial and, at this past week's sentencing hearing, Prince George’s County Assistant State’s Attorney Jennifer Rush told the judge that first responders to the scene of the deadly crash have since battled with post-traumatic stress disorder.
"They all, even the 20-year veterans, described this as the worst scene of their careers," she said. "When we were talking with them, we could see them replaying it in their minds."
She was eventually handed a sentence of 18 years behind bars. When given the chance to speak, she repeatedly apologized to those gathered in the courtroom, which included many of her relatives before telling the judge, "I don't even deserve" to be alive.
After she’s released from prison, Taylor will be put on supervised probation and will have to have an ignition interlock system in her vehicle.
"This is a very tragic case. Ms Taylor’s actions in recklessly driving the vehicle under the influence has caused pain for the family members of the victims," said State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy after the sentencing.
"While we can’t bring these precious victims back, today, at least we can rest assured that justice has been served with the sentence that was handed down Hopefully, this serves as some level of closure so that these families can move forward and begin the healing process."