Woman Sentenced for I-20 Wreck That Killed 7-Year-Old

A Douglas County judge sentenced a woman to a lengthy prison term for a 2013 interstate crash that killed her 7-year-old godson.

Lauresia Woods entered a non-negotiated plea to one count of vehicular homicide and two counts of serious injury by motor vehicle Wednesday, the county district attorney’s office said in a statement.

• RELATED: 1 Child Dead, 5 Injured in I-20 Crash

Superior Court Judge Donald B. Howe sentenced Woods to 30 years, with 15 years to serve in prison as a repeat offender who would be ineligible for parole, the sentence asked for by Senior Assistant District Attorney Thomas Kegley.

Woods had more than three prior felony convictions, the DA’s Office said.

Prosecutors said Woods was driving westbound on I-20 on the night of Oct. 20, 2013, with several children in her vehicle, when she attempted to merge from the far left lane to the Fairburn Road Exit at a high rate of speed and lost control.

Her Lincoln Navigator flipped several times, ejecting three of the children, including the 7-year-old. Two young girls ejected from vehicle suffered broken bones, prosecutors said. None of the children were buckled in.

The DA’s office said blood tests showed Woods was under the influence of marijuana during the crash. She also had marijuana on her.

“This was a preventable tragedy that resulted in the death of one child and severe physical and emotional injuries to two others,” Kegle said in a statement. “When this defendant made the decision to drive while impaired and failed to secure these children in the vehicle, it destroyed lives.”

“A tragedy for so many families involved, but it also shows that when you drive impaired and kill or injure others, this office will work tirelessly to achieve justice for victims and seek safety for our community,” Douglas County District Attorney Brian Fortner said in a statement. “I am grateful for Judge Howe’s sentence which ensures she will spend the next 15 years in prison.”

Photos: Patch files photos from 2013 wreck; mug shot from Douglas Co. DA’s Office