The trial for the deadly 2022 crash in Lebanon Town Square has ended in an open plea agreement.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) – The trial for the deadly 2022 crash in Lebanon Town Square has ended in an open plea agreement.
After a week and a half in court, 73-year-old Sandra Strickland pleaded guilty to vehicular homicide by intoxication for her involvement in the tragic car wreck that left 27-year-old Ashley Brewer-Bailey dead on April 25, 2022, according to District Attorney General of the 15th Judicial District Jason Lawson.
Strickland was also facing charges of driving under the influence (DUI), two counts of reckless endangerment and leaving the scene of a personal injury accident. Lawson explained that the failure to stop was charged because of her role in a separate crash right before the one involving Brewer-Bailey that left one woman with minor injuries. He said the lesser misdemeanor of DUI was merged into the vehicular homicide charge because they are ‘related matters’.
“In light of the defense’s willingness to have her plead guilty on the main charge of vehicular homicide by intoxication, we agreed that we would not prosecute the minor charges that were there,” Lawson said. “Because a plea is an admission of guilt, all of the appeals go away. This is a huge step because it gives closure to the family that they understand that she’s going to be sentenced just as if she was convicted at trial.”
Under Tennessee law, vehicular homicide by intoxication is a Class B felony, which is punishable by eight to 12 years in prison.
“It’s a sentence that has to be served in the penitentiary,” Lawson said. “At some point during the course of her service, there will be a parole hearing that will be set, and when that occurs, certainly the family and my office will be there to object to parole when that happens.”
Strickland’s sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 10.
“Every case has both the guilt phase and the sentencing phase and sometimes those are merged in plea agreements, but in this case, we did not do any sort of a merger like that,” Lawson said. “We did the guilt phase and now we’ll move on to the sentencing phase. There’s really nothing that was conceded on the part of the state, and the victim’s family, at the same time, gets closure and they are going to be able to speak at the sentencing hearing that’s coming up and see that justice will be served at that time.”