Mother pleads guilty in wreck that killed her 13-month-old son
WILMINGTON, NC (WECT) - A woman who was accused of being impaired while behind the wheel during a fiery wreck that killed her 13-month-old son was sentenced to 10-14.75 years in prison after taking a plea deal Monday.
Melissa Henderson, 30, hung her head in a New Hanover County courtroom as she pleaded guilty to felony reckless child abuse inflicting serious injury, felony death by vehicle, and felony serious injury by vehicle.
"I can't tell you the amount of cases we get where children are in the back seat of a car while their parents are shooting up heroin or other drugs," Judge Harrel said in court. "I am bound by the constraints of the law and sentencing guidelines because if I could, I would give you substantially more time than the law allows. I hope you take advantage of the opportunities the Department of Corrections offers and leave a much better Melissa Henderson."
Henderson had been charged with involuntary manslaughter, felony death by motor vehicle, felony serious injury by vehicle, speeding, simple possession of a scheduled IV controlled substance and two felony counts of child abuse inflicting serious injuries in connection to the wreck on River Road that killed her son, James, on April 24, 2016.
At around 9:20 a.m. that morning, Henderson was driving 80 mph on River Road when she failed to make a sharp turn near Snow's Cut Bridge and slammed into a tree, causing her vehicle to burst into flames, according to a crash report.
Good Samaritans were able to pull Henderson and her 2-year-old daughter from the vehicle, but James died in the blaze.
District Attorney Ben David said this case will stay with investigators for a long time, adding it haunts some of those who responded to the scene.
A probable cause affidavit in support of a search warrant – citing the results of a urinalysis – revealed Henderson had multiple prescription and illegal narcotics in her system at the time of the crash.
Henderson's attorney later argued that information was obtained in an "unlawful" search.
After recovering from injuries suffered in the wreck, Henderson was booked in the New Hanover County Detention Center under a $250,000 bond.
She posted bond several months later but was re-arrested in March 2017 after she allegedly violated her bond conditions by traveling to Texas to visit the father of her children.
Since then, she has been in the detention center under a $500,000 bond.
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