Maximum Sentence For Convicted Drunk, Drugged Driver On Long Island
MINEOLA, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- A convicted felon with a history of driving drunk was given the maximum sentence in a crash that left a Long Island father dead.
The family of Chad Whethers waited almost two years for Lloyd Williams to face his penalty.
"It's been hard," Whethers' mother, Brenda Whitehurst, told CBS 2's Jennifer McLogan. "He was a mama's boy."
"And then the defendant, at no time he showed no type of remorse, there was no apology. I just hope today that he gets the maximum," Whethers' sister, Tawanda Whitehurst, said before the sentencing.
A jury found Williams guilty, handing down a rare depraved indifference murder conviction for a fatal DWI crash in Nassau County in June 2011. On Wednesday, a judge gave Williams a sentence of 25 years to life in prison.
Williams was high on marijuana and his blood-alcohol level was three times the legal limit when he slammed his car into Whethers.
As McLogan reported, Williams got into a bar fight before jumping in his car and taking off. He led Freeport police on a high-speed chase, running eight stop signs and six red lights along the way.
Chad Whethers was heading home to his family from his job as a local security guard. His car was literally sheared in half by Williams' speeding Mitsubishi. Whethers died on impact, leaving behind a daughter who is now 5 years old.
Following his sentencing, Williams offered his apology.
"I didn't mean for this to happen, it was a mistake. Yes, definitely, I'm sorry," he said.
His was just the third depraved indifference murder conviction for a fatal DWI crash in Nassau.
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