Woman sentenced to 5 years in prison for wrong-way crash

A Columbia woman convicted of involuntary manslaughter for a wrong-way crash learned Wednesday she’ll spend 5 years in prison.

Kelli Smith was convicted in December after a week-long jury trial and hours of deliberation. A main point of argument throughout the trial was whether she was given the date rape drug and raped before the crash.

Before sentencing on Wednesday, Smith’s lawyers said she should have been granted a new trial for several reasons.

They argued that the problems started before the trial even began when they weren’t allowed to bring up the topic of the date rape drug or rape while they were selecting jury members. They also said there was more evidence of a rape that needed to be seen.

But state prosecutors argued that new evidence was inadmissible since the trial was over and said the jury had made their decision after hearing evidence of the date rape drug by the defense.

Judge Wesley Dalton denied that motion.

Then sentencing began with a victim impact statement from Thomas Sullivan’s ex-wife. She cried as she talked about how her sons were only four and seven when he was hit and killed, and now they’ll have to grow up without him. She also said she is now on anti-depressants and fears the day she has to tell her sons what really happened.

Then Smith herself spoke, asking the judge to consider her a candidate for probation, saying she feels remorse every day about what happened. She said she struggles with the fact that she doesn’t remember what happened but argued that she still learned from that terrible night.

Her lawyers also gave Judge Dalton several character letters explaining why Smith should get probation rather than the 5 years the jury recommended, including one from a jury member.

He took a break to read them, then came back and explained this was one of the most difficult cases he’s ever worked on, but thinks the jury made their decision for a reason.

He then sentenced her to five years.

It’s a decision her family feels like doesn’t answer what happened that night.

“I’ve always had in the back of my mind that this [trial] is about truth and honesty, but it’s clearly not. So we’re never gonna know,” said Smith’s grandfather Ron McLaughlin.

Thomas Sullivan’s family declined to talk but the Montgomery County Prosecutor Nathan Carroz released a statement saying, “I am so thankful to the jurors for their dedication to fully reviewing the evidence in this matter. I feel that the jury made the correct decision with regard to both guilt and sentencing. I also commend the crime victim’s family for their patience and perseverance in seeking justice on behalf of the crime victim.”

Smith’s attorney has already filed an appeal on the conviction and sentence.