A Wakefield woman convicted in a 2021 head-on crash that killed 20-year-old Leah Ribner-Martin failed to show up for her sentencing hearing, prompting a judge to issue a warrant. Stephanie Briggs's attorney told the court she was hospitalized, and the judge gave her 48 hours to produce proper hospital documentation or risk a bail violation that could send her to the Adult Correctional Institutions for up to a decade.
A Warrant and a 48-Hour Clock
According to WJAR, Briggs did not appear in court this week for the sentencing tied to her conviction in Ribner-Martin's death. Her attorney said she's in the hospital, but the judge wasn't satisfied with that explanation alone and ordered her to turn over proper hospital documentation within 48 hours. If she fails to do so, the station reports that a bail violation could be filed by the state, exposing Briggs to up to 10 years in the ACI.
The missed hearing comes after Briggs accepted a plea deal in September for driving to endanger resulting in death, the station's report notes. The case stems from a crash that happened on South County Trail, also known as Route 2, at Dry Bridge Road in North Kingstown, according to The Providence Journal. Briggs was later arraigned on the charge with $10,000 bail and surety, as reported by WPRI.
A Family Still Waiting Five Years Later
Ribner-Martin's mother, Lenore Martin, has pushed back against the other driver's account of the crash for years. She said that an analysis of her daughter's vehicle black box showed Leah was driving at the speed limit when the collision occurred, per the same account from the station. Martin said the other driver was traveling 22 miles per hour over the speed limit, crossed two lanes, struck Leah's car head-on, and never braked.
Martin also said the other driver maintained for five years that she had done nothing wrong, even as the case dragged toward sentencing. Leah's other mother, Ruth Ribner, described her daughter as a good and loyal person, while Martin said Leah loved Rhode Island and her friends, and that those friends have supported the family throughout the ordeal.
Remembering Leah Ribner-Martin
Ribner-Martin was a 20-year-old University of Rhode Island student at the time of her death, studying with hopes of becoming a veterinarian. The Providence Journal's earlier coverage identified her as a URI student and 4-H member from North Kingstown. Her family remembered her as caring, hardworking and fond of animals, while her friends loved her, the station's report states.
The victim's family is demanding justice as the case stretches into a sixth year without a finalized sentence. For now, the outcome hinges on whether Briggs can produce the hospital documentation the judge ordered — and on what, if anything, the state decides to file if she can't.
