Madrid man gets probation for leaving scene of 2021 crash that killed his girlfriend
Cameron Kennedy sat at the defendant's table in the Polk County Criminal Courthouse and told the family of his girlfriend Alicia Kus that he shared their devastation over her death in an accident with him at the wheel.
"Sorry doesn’t always help, but I just want everyone to know that I’m living with a lot of the same grief you guys are," he told them. "I’m sorry you have to go through this."
Kennedy, 36, of Madrid was driving on April 24, 2021, when his truck left a rural road near Madrid and rolled. He and Kus, whom he called "the love of his life," both were ejected from the vehicle. Kennedy walked away, but Kus was fatally injured. On Tuesday, a judge sentenced him to serve three years' probation for his role in the crash.
What happened in the crash?
Prosecutors charged Kennedy with vehicular homicide by OWI, alleging that he had been under the influence of alcohol. But defense attorney Andrea Flanagan said Tuesday that although Kennedy was leaving a bar at the time of the crash, he was not tested for intoxication. He eventually pleaded guilty instead to voluntary manslaughter.
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Kennedy also was charged with leaving the scene of a fatal crash. After being thrown from the car, he walked to a friend's house a mile away instead of seeking help from residents of homes closer to the scene, according to prosecutors. Although Flanagan said she believes he was suffering from a concussion at the time, he pleaded guilty to that charge as well.
Why did Kennedy get probation?
Under the plea deal, prosecutors agreed not to make any recommendation as to whether he should be sent to prison. Judge Lawrence McLellan could have sentenced him to up to 10 years, but instead Tuesday suspended his prison term and gave him probation.
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"I don’t perceive Mr. Kennedy to be a threat to the community based on his character, what he did before the accident, and what he’s done since the accident," McLellan said, noting Kennedy's efforts to get treatment and abstain from alcohol since the crash.
What did the victim's family say?
Kus' sister, Amber Ordonez, spoke on behalf of her family at the hearing, and said they are haunted by how things could have been different if Kennedy hadn't left her to die.
"Cameron is someone my sister loved, someone she felt safe with, someone who was supposed to keep her safe, but Cameron made the wrong choice," she said.
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Ordonez said they believe Kennedy's plea deal was too lenient, noting that even when he reached his friend's home, he lied and said Kus was OK when he left the crash scene.
"She wasn’t in the field looking for their phones," she said. "She was in the field dying alone."
Who was Alicia Kus?
In addition to Ordonez, Kus is survived by her father, mother and stepfather, three other siblings, and several nieces and nephews. According to her obituary, she loved music and outdoor activities. She was an Iowa State graduate and taught at Woodward Academy, a treatment facility for troubled teens.
"It was her joy to see them graduate, students others had given up on," Ordonez said. "Alicia never gave up on those adolescents."
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William Morris covers courts for the Des Moines Register. He can be contacted at wrmorris2@registermedia.com, 715-573-8166 or on Twitter at @DMRMorris.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa man gets probation for girlfriend's death in 2021 rollover crash
