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Home > Blogs > Dayton Courts: Legal and crime news > Archives > 2010 > March > 18
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Drunk driver who killed woman gets 7-year sentence
DAYTON — a Dayton man convicted of killing a West Alexandria woman while driving drunk was sentenced Thursday, March 18, to seven years in prison.
Justin M. Henderson, 21, appeared before Montgomery County Common Pleas Judge Dennis J. Langer, who noted that Henderson was underage at the time of the accident, that he had prior convictions for drunk driving offenses and was driving under suspension at the time.
“You shouldn’t have been drinking at all,” Langer said. “You shouldn’t have been driving at all.”
Langer also suspended Henderson’s driver’s license for life, and ordered him to pay nearly $8,500 in restitution.
Henderson could have received a 10-year sentence. Langer said that “the court is convinced that you are genuinely remorseful.”
Henderson wept as he apologized to the family and said that “if I could change spots for her,” he would.
He also wept and shook his head “no” as deputies handcuffed him after the hearing.
Members of both families also wept during the sentencing.
Henderson pleaded guilty Feb. 18 to two counts of aggravated vehicular homicide, plus one count of operating a vehicle while under the influence. He has two prior convictions for OVI, both in Kettering Municipal Court.
Henderson, now 21, was 20 at the time of the April 26 accident that killed 41-year-old Mary J. Farrow. Henderson’s blood-alcohol content was measured at 0.266, or more than three times the legal limit, according to a sentencing memorandum filed by prosecutor’s.
The crash occurred about 1:40 a.m. Witnesses estimated that Henderson, who was northbound on County Line Road, was traveling at between 90 and 110 mph. A crash investigator estimated that Henderson was driving at least 82 mph when he ran a red light at Research Boulevard and plowed into the driver’s side door of Farrow’s jeep, according to a sentencing memorandum filed by prosecutors.
“Mrs. Farrow was a loving wife, mother and grandmother” who had been socializing with friends and was sober when she left a friend’s home minutes earlier, according to the memorandum. “Mrs. Farrow never stood a chance as the defendant slammed into her car.”
Following the crash, a witness pulled Henderson from his car before it became engulfed in fire, police said. Another witness performed CPR on Farrow, but she was pronounced dead at the scene.
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