Intoxicated Driver Learns Punishment in Crash That Killed Amish Boy; Avoids Life Sentence
An update to a tragic story that is now coming to a close, of sorts.
Last December, 10-year-old Amish boy Anthony Miller lost his life when he was hit by 30-year-old Logan Thomas, driving a pickup truck and under the influence of multiple drugs, including meth and fentanyl. This happened in the sizeable Amish community in St. Joseph County, Michigan.
Thomas pleaded guilty to the charges against him earlier this month. At the time it was said he could possibly be sentenced to life in prison, in part because of his track record – with this incident Thomas was a “fourth habitual offender”.
However, the sentence he received earlier this week, while potentially quite significant, comes up much shorter than that. From the report at WKZO:
He was also on a suspended licence at the time he struck a group of four Amish children riding their bikes to school, killing one of them.
It was later found he had methamphetamine, fentanyl, amphetamines, and morphine in his system at the time of the crash.
Police say they estimate the children were in his line of sight for 16-to-18 seconds before the crash.
St. Joseph County Prosecutor Deborah Davis says “this tragedy was entirely preventable.” She adds it “was extremely traumatic for even the most experienced first responders.”
Thomas will spend a minimum of 7.5 years in prison, with a maximum of 30 years in prison.
A 7.5 to 30-year sentence means that Thomas could be anywhere from in his late 30s to early 60s when he is released. I don’t know if it is of any comfort to Anthony Miller’s family but I hope this news does help them in some way.
So who decides when he gets out? If he has been caught doing this four times before, then give him the 30 years. Even that is not enough.
Driver Learns Punishment
Yes, I certainly hope Anthony Miller’s family finds some measure of comfort, because I most certainly do NOT. So he pled guilty?? So what?! He WAS guilty. He did it simply to gain sympathy/favor from a judge who clearly lacks the intestinal fortitude to do what’s right! I’m beginning to think these judges all graduate from the same law school: the “Let’s-give-them-the-minimum-and-hope-they-change-their-ways” School of Law. Hey, Your Honor . . . OBJECTION!!