Woman gets 90 days for felony DUI

A North Augusta woman, Julie P. Lafon, who pleaded guilty to a felony charge of driving under the influence, has been sentenced to 90 days in jail and three years of probation.

Deathly silent, a packed courtroom gallery sat like stone Monday as a victim of the devastating wreck gave a vivid and graphic retelling of the sights, sounds and physical sensations of the impact that came close to killing her when her vehicle was hit by a drunken driver on Jan. 31, 2009.

Ashlyn Miller of Walterboro described how she was fully aware of being cut out of the mangled vehicle and then rushed to the hospital where she was close to death for days afterward.

Miller was one of two victims in a car that was struck by Lafon, who had a blood alcohol level of more than double the legal limit. She was driving the wrong way on Interstate 20 when her vehicle collided head-on with another vehicle.

Lafon's sentence of 90 days in jail and three years of probation came Monday after she pleaded guilty to felony driving under the influence causing great bodily injury. Her full sentence was seven years and a fine of $5,100, suspended to 90 days and three years of probation. She could have faced 15 years in jail; the charge carries a 30-day minimum jail term.

During her testimony, Miller said, "I could hear my bones snapping; I could feel the weight of the door crushing me; I could see the shards of glass cutting into me. It didn't just hurt me; it affected so many people. I had to hear my little sister cry herself to sleep. ... What bothers me the most is that I remember everything, and Ms. Lafon remembers nothing."

An awestruck gallery was frozen by the eloquent, extemporaneous remarks of Miller, a Columbia College honor student.

Miller suffered second-degree lacerations on all of her internal organs, a broken leg that protruded through the skin, an almost-severed ankle and a broken hip, pelvis and wrist, among other injuries.

She and her mother said they did not have an opinion on a sentence for Lafon, first-time offender.

However, Miller's mother did add that Lafon's actions would affect her and her child for the rest of their lives.

The driver of the vehicle that was struck, Brett Spradley of Aiken, also did not want to weigh in on the sentence.

"I don't take a stand on the sentencing; I don't want blood on my hands," Spradley said.

After the solicitor's office described the events of that day and the victims spoke, a slew of friends and family read prepared statements espousing Lafon as a person of quality. For almost an hour, supporters described the impact of the incident on the defendant, how she was affected by a bad marriage and that this was one lapse in character.

"I just want to stress to the judge and the victims that I have done a tragic thing to you. I can't imagine the phone call your mother got," Lafon said.

The defendant repeatedly said she had wanted to meet with the victims after the accident to talk with them and apologize and that she often prayed for them.

While Lafon and her supporters spoke, Miller simply lay her head on her mother's shoulder while Spradley looked down at the floor.

Judge Ferrell Cothran presided over the trial.

Contact Mike Gellatly at mgellatly@aikenstandard.com.