Charlotte woman sentenced in wrong-way DUI accident that left Rock Hill man dead
A Charlotte woman will spend the next seven years behind bars after causing a crash on I-77 that left one man dead, according to our partners at The Rock Hill Herald.
On Tuesday, 28-year-old Nicole Clare Tanner pleaded guilty to felony DUI resulting in death in York County criminal court.
The Herald reports the fatal crash happened two years ago, in November 2021. At the time of the crash, Tanner’s blood alcohol level was at .15, nearly twice the legal limit. She was driving her SUV south on the northbound side of I-77 when she hit another SUV driving north head-on.
ALSO READ: Police: 1 killed, driver charged in crash in south Charlotte
The driver of the other SUV was identified as 32-year-old Ajibril Crawford Blake of Rock Hill. Police say he died at the scene.
According to The Herald, Tanner and Prosecutor Shelton were able to agree to a maximum of 10 years for a guilty plea. Her original charge carried a prison term of one to 25 years. York County Judge Dan Hall sentenced Tanner to seven years at the S.C. Department of Corrections.
In court, Hall said the consequences of drinking and driving are well-known and inexcusable.
Tanner did not speak while in the courtroom, other than to submit her guilty plea, The Herald Reports. According to Tanner’s lawyer, Geoff Dunn, she had no prior criminal record. The Herald says Dunn continued and acknowledged his client made a mistake with deadly consequences and that “she wishes she could take it back.”
According to South Carolina Department of Transportation statistics, I-77 between Rock Hill and the North Carolina state line is the busiest stretch of road in York County and one of the most heavily traveled in Palmetto State.
(WATCH BELOW: Bond denied for suspect in DUI crash that killed man, 13-year-old in York County)
