A St. Louis County man, Carlas Closson Jr., received a sentence for a crash that claimed the lives of his estranged girlfriend and their young daughter. As reported by a local news source, Closson, 31, was sentenced yesterday to a suspended four-year term. This sentence includes 120 days of "shock time" in prison following his conviction on two counts of second-degree involuntary manslaughter.

During an August bench trial, Circuit Judge Clinton R. Wright found Closson guilty of the lesser charges, though prosecutors initially sought convictions for first-degree murder and armed criminal action. Found guilty last month, the tragic event unfolded when Closson crashed into two trees on March 6, 2021, driving at speeds more than 60 mph in a Chrysler PT Cruiser, prosecutors said. Ignoring a stop sign near Halls Ferry Circle, he impacted two trees, resulting in fatalities.

The turbulent relationship between Closson and 29-year-old Domonique Hicks was scrutinized during the trial, with witness testimony suggesting a history of conflict. A crucial piece of evidence was a text message sent by Closson to Hicks, stating, "WHEN I LEFT THIS MORNING I WAS DONE WITH YOU BUT NEVER MY CHILD." According to court documents on St. Louis Circuit Court, this pointed to a distraught state of mind, though Closson maintained that the crash was accidental, claiming he was merely reaching for cigarettes that had fallen prior to the collision.

Closson pleaded for forgiveness in court yesterday, expressing daily remembrance for his girlfriend and daughter. "I am not a menace to society," he asserted on the St. Louis Circuit Court. Upon completion of the 120 days, he will be assessed for release on probation or continued incarceration, Judge Wright decided. His case number is 2322-CR02629-01.