Driver Found Guilty In Fatal Street Race Crash
BALTIMORE (WJZ)— Street racing death. Now the man who caused the horrific crash has been found guilty.
Weijia Jiang has the details.
Family members of Mary-Kathryn Abernathy, 21, and Jonathan Henderson, 20, say they've been waiting for this day for nearly two years.
A judge found the man accused of killing them guilty of vehicular manslaughter—the most serious of the 17 charges he faced.
"This is a no-win situation for all of the families involved," said Dave Abernathy, victim's father. "We obviously miss Mary-Kathryn and John very much. But this gives us a sense the judicial system worked."
They were killed in June 2009 where Interstate 70 ends at the Beltway. Police say they were watching an illegal street race when Donneil Raeburn, 27, of Pikesville, plowed into them. They died instantly.
Police say Raeburn's alcohol level was twice the legal limit.
Raeburn, who now has brain damage, testified that he doesn't remember what happened that night.
"What went wrong was that with the same hand that was used to lift alcohol into someone's system, used a key and put it in the ignition and they put themselves behind the wheel," said Lisa Dove, Abernathy's mother.
Raeburn's attorney argued that alcohol had nothing to do with the accident and that anyone could've had an accident under the chaotic circumstances. Ultimately, though, the judge disagreed.
"It's not going to bring our kids back; nothing will bring them back, but it makes me feel better that he's where he deserves to be," said a family member.
Raeburn is being held without bond until his sentencing. The maximum time he faces is 20 years. His family declined to comment.
