‘Future stolen’: Driver sentenced in hit-and-run that killed teen near Greenville

STANTON, Mich. (WOOD) — A woman will spend years in prison after a hit-and-run crash near Greenville that killed a teenager and injured two others.

Tuesday afternoon, Brandy Sue Jones was sentenced to 12 to 30 years for failure to stop at the scene of an accident when at fault resulting in death, without any credit for time served in jail since her arrest. For two counts of failure to stop at the scene of an accident resulting in serious impairment, she was sentenced to 4 years and 9 months to 10 years on each count, which will be served concurrently to the first count but consecutively to her parole sentence.

Woman charged in hit-and-run that killed teen near Greenville

At Tuesday’s sentencing, family members recalled 14-year-old Jamison Lafferty, a Greenville Middle School student who was killed in the Aug. 8 crash — four days after his birthday, according to his family.

“If you had the chance to know him and love him, you were simply blessed,” his mother, Aleeson Lafferty, said. “Our son had the biggest heart and the most contagious smile.”

“Jamison was a vibrant, talented, compassionate, wonderful young man that had such a promising future ahead of him,” Wendy Gladding, Jamison’s grandmother, said.

Tom Lafferty, Jamison’s grandfather, said Jamison “liked ice cream and giggling.”

At the sentencing, Tom Lafferty asked everyone in the courtroom who knew and loved Jamison to stand.

“I asked these folks to stand for justice for Jamison, but also so the court could see who in this court has already been sentenced,” Tom Lafferty said. “We all got the maximum sentence. What we got was life without the possibility of parole. We have no chance for a plea deal. Lord knows we’ve already tried.”

“The pain of Jamison’s absence is a constant reminder of the dream shattered and the future stolen,” Gladding said.

“Not only did (Jones) take our son’s life that day, but she took mine, too,” Jamison’s mother said.

MSP looks for driver who hit three boys, killing one

Jamison’s father, Justin Lafferty, compared the aftermath of his son’s death to a nightmare.

“In the mornings before I head to work, I no longer get to kiss him goodbye,” he said. “Instead, I gently kiss a picture of him hanging next to his football jersey and tell him how proud I am of him, but without a response.”

But both of Jamison’s parents said they forgave Jones, and they knew Jamison would forgive her, too.

Jones also addressed the court on Tuesday, saying she knew the pain of loss because she had lost her own son.

“I’m so sorry, but I just don’t know what else I can do,” she said. “I would trade places with this young man any day of the week, and I wish I could.”

Jones said she wouldn’t “sit here and ask for forgiveness.”

“I’m sure if I was in your shoes, I wouldn’t be able to forgive me either,” she said. “I just want you to know that I’m not a monster and I beat myself up more than anyone ever could.”

The crash happened around 9:30 p.m. Aug. 8 in Eureka Township, northwest of Greenville. Troopers say the car Jones was driving hit three teenage boys who were walking along Wise Road near West County Line Road. They were walking home after visiting a childhood babysitter, according to Jamison’s grandmother.

Tire tracks indicate the car veered off the road, hit the three boys, tore through a yard and then went back out on the road. The driver did not remain on the scene.

Jamison Lafferty died there, and two other boys were hospitalized with injuries that included a broken pelvis and two broken ankles.

“She had the ability to stop that evening, and I as a mom was left wondering, ‘Who would leave my baby lying there to suffer?'” Aleeson Lafferty said Tuesday.

Pieces of the car were left on scene, and police identified it as a Volkswagen Jetta. Tips from the public led investigators to Jones’ car near a home in Gowen.

At the time, Jones was out on parole, having been sent to prison in 2020 on a methamphetamine conviction out of Montcalm County. Michigan Secretary of State records show Jones has multiple previous driving violations, including driving on an expired license, failure to display a valid license and no proof of insurance.

In October, Jones pleaded no contest to the charges.

At sentencing, the judge said Jones seemed “genuinely remorseful.”

“What you can do moving forward is to turn from substances, recognizing that they only make things worse, and embrace a life of doing good, and doing it in his memory, in his honor,” Judge Suzanne Kreeger said.

According to the judge, Jones has the right to seek leave to appeal within 42 days of sentencing.

Update: While the judge initially said Jones would serve 12 to 15 years for failure to stop at the scene of an accident when at fault resulting in death, she later corrected the sentence to 12 to 30 years. The article has been updated to reflect this.

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