'Nobody can take away this pain': Families seethe over plea deal in crash that killed four
TAVARES — After weighing and delaying a plea deal for five months, a judge Thursday agreed to sentence Heather Finley to four years in prison for causing a 2018 crash that claimed the lives of four young mothers.
The heartbroken victims’ families were outraged.
“Four years for four lives!” Natalya Davis said in her comments to Circuit Judge Larry Metz.
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This is how the fatal crash happened
The mothers, with eight children between them, from newborn to 12, were out on a rare moms’ night out on April 8, 2018.
Tierra Chambers was driving a 2018 Chevy Malibu with passengers Rosalyn Felton, Kambrea Smith and Shakeila Smith. It was just after 2 a.m., and the Breeze bar had just closed.
Chambers was making a left turn out of an unpaved parking lot onto State Road 50 when her vehicle was struck by Finley’s Silverado pickup.
Finley “was driving at a reckless speed of 59 mph in a posted 35 mph zone…,” according to the arrest affidavit. It was dark and rainy. “In addition to the weather conditions, there were several pedestrians in the area.”
The judge said he felt better about the proposed plea bargain after receiving new information
Metz postponed sentencing in April after hearing the families’ impassioned statements. On Thursday, he said he “felt better” about the negotiated plea after ordering a presentence investigation and receiving new information.
He said his options were limited. He could reject the plea deal outright, leaving open the possibility that the state could drop the case, but he had no way to alter the terms. Accepting it was the only way he could guarantee that Finley would do prison time, he said.
The victims' family members expressed outrage in court
When family members weren’t taking turns making victim impact statements at the podium, they were muttering and talking to each other in the spectator section. A common theme was “Black lives don’t matter.”
Finley, 27, of Clermont, is white.
“This whole case has been blown purposely because of race,” Jakessan Turner told prosecutors after the hearing was adjourned.
Prosecutors denied it. A three-page memo written by Assistant State Attorney Chris Small detailed problems with the case, including video and “black box” data from the vehicles, and a defense accident reconstruction report that cast doubt about whether Finley was impaired.
Finley voluntarily took a blood alcohol test, but it was five hours after the crash. Her defense team filed a motion challenging the results, saying they were “based on a lack of scientific reliability.”
She was heard to yell, “that bitch wrecked my new truck!”
“The defendant, other than being hysterical, showed no indicators of impairment,” the state’s memo stated.
The crash was handled by Mascotte police with an assist from Groveland. The Florida Highway Patrol was tied up elsewhere.
As part of the plea deal, prosecutors dropped four DUI counts, leaving intact the four vehicular homicide charges.
Finley also faces six years of probation, driver's license revocation for three years and $200,000 in restitution to the families.
'We want justice'
“We don’t care about the money! We want justice,” said Natalya Davis, a cousin of one of the women who died.
James Thomas, Tierra’s stepfather, sometimes pounded on the podium when he spoke, calling the case “a farce,” and saying that the tragedy “left a hole in my family’s heart.”
Finley, at times trembling while standing next to her attorney, Jay Rooth, was tearful.
Thomas called them “hollow tears” and said, “I have no pity for that.”
He said she will eventually get her driver's license back, “so she can do it again.”
Finley spent a total of eight hours in jail, he said. “She had four years to live. I guarantee she celebrated her birthday, she celebrated Christmas, Thanksgiving, she celebrated her family’s activities while we sat in a holding pattern, waiting to start our healing. “
He said his wife gave up her career. “Her life was turned upside down. I wake up to the nightmares she endures. Nobody can take away this pain.”
Tierra’s mother showed the judge a photo of her daughter when she spoke of her loss, and she sobbed uncontrollably as Finley was led out of the courtroom in handcuffs.
Family members also blasted the State Attorney's Office for not going over all the evidence and not giving them a say about the plea deal.
“On Feb. 24, 2022, I met with several representatives of each family to explain to them the difficulties with the case, the accident reconstruction, and the defendant’s offer," Small wrote in his memo to the judge. “Their response was understandably a mix of grief and outrage.”
He said he has since worked with family members to help them understand the agreement.
Heather Finley: 'I'm so sorry'
Heather’s father, Scott Finley, said, “I would like to truly apologize. We’re all victims of this tragic accident." He said Heather will work hard to make restitution.
Heather Finley also spoke.
“I’m so sorry, and I know saying I’m sorry doesn’t bring these girls back, but there’s not a day that goes by that I don’t think about them.
"I know they don’t want to hear it,” she said, referring to the families, “but I just want to say I’m sorry.”
This article originally appeared on Daily Commercial: Lake County, Florida families upset with plea deal in fatal car crash
