An Arlington man's need for speed ended with a deadly consequence and an eight-year prison stint, following a high-velocity crash that claimed the life of a teenager. Bryce Abernathy, 24, was sentenced in Tarrant County after taking a plea deal for careening into an SUV on Interstate 20, killing 19-year-old Shaundi Smallwood and injuring others. The prosecution aimed for a ten-year sentence, while the defense only hoped for probation, according to FOX 4 News.
Pleading guilty to manslaughter and out on bond for the past year and a half, Abernathy's sentence also includes a deferred sentence on lesser charges, ensuring that if he adheres to the terms of the plea deal, the jail time will only be tied to the manslaughter conviction. During the devastating incident back in April 2022, police data showed Abernathy's white Camaro was doing 157 miles per hour, more than double the zone's 70 mph limit, CBS News reported.
The mother of the deceased, Stephenie Smallwood, expressed her wrenching loss and ongoing grief in the courtroom, saying, "Because I needed him to know this is what you took from me. This is who he was". The impact of her son's absence is felt acutely, with no respite for holidays or birthdays ahead, as per FOX 4 News.
Abernathy will face a decade of probation following his release from prison, a process he began with a new mugshot on Wednesday. With his family in court, the 24-year-old begins to pay his legal debt for a decision that has permanently scarred multiple families and shaken a community to its core. Compounded by the tragedy, the young teenage girl, who was driving the SUV at the time, stood in court recounting the horrors of that night, with a heartbroken Stephenie among the audience, as conveyed by FOX 4 News.
In a strong message reminding the public of the gravity of such reckless actions behind the wheel, Fort Worth Police stated that "reckless driving is irresponsible, egregious, and dangerous," urging drivers to "exercise caution and responsibility when operating a motor vehicle," a sentiment shared after Abernathy's arrest, according to CBS News.
