Woman gets year for fatal hit, run

An Aiken County woman who was involved in a fatal wreck, fled the scene and lied to police in an attempt to cover up her crime was sentenced Wednesday to one year in jail.

Ginger Carpenter of Warrenville was set for trial this week on charges of leaving the scene of an accident involving a death. Instead of facing up to a possible 25 years in jail at trial, she pleaded guilty and was given the minimum sentence.

Flanked in court by her attorney and about a dozen friends and church members, Carpenter spoke in barely audible tones to Judge Markley Dennis Jr.

The solicitor's office had negotiated a sentence of between one and five years for the crime, Dennis, swayed by the church support behind Carpenter, said "for everything I have heard, this case merits the minimum sentence."

This is a no parole offense, so the defendant must complete more than 10 months before she is eligible for parole.

On May 22, 2008, at about 1 a.m., two collisions happened on Storm Branch Road in Aiken County. Two motorcycles had a minor accident. Then, shortly afterward, Carpenter's 1997 Ford Exhibition hit James Alan Cohrs of Rita Court in North Augusta, killing him.

According to testimony, the victim's blood was later discovered on the offending vehicle, and his heart and other organs were found outside of his body.

At the time, law enforcement said it appeared as if Carpenter's vehicle struck a Harley Davidson driven by Michael Younts, 48, of Coventry Court in North Augusta and then drove 100 yards and struck the Harley Davidson that Cohrs was driving.

Part of Carpenter's car were left behind from the impact, and her vehicle type was identified.

The next day, after a plea from law enforcement, someone called police with information that Carpenter's vehicle had been damaged. She was arrested later that day.

If the case had come to trial, it was said in court it would have come down to a "battle of the experts," according to Carpenter's attorney.

The Warrenville woman does not accept responsibility for killing Cohrs, and referred to the event as "a very tragic accident," but did admit that she broke the law.

Since the accident, Carpenter has begun volunteering at a home for the elderly and has attended meetings where DUI victims express the impact that crime has had on their lives.

Contact Mike Gellatly at mgellatly@aikenstandard.com.