PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A Philadelphia man who was convicted of striking a 5-year-old girl, her sister and uncle, and then driving off, will spend at least six years in prison.
Andre Shuford, 55, was sentenced Tuesday to 6-15 years behind bars. He was convicted last August of aggravated assault by vehicle and other related offenses for striking 5-year-old Divinity McFarland, her 3-year-old sister Esence and their uncle, 43-year-old Shaheed Richburg.
It was on Sept. 2, 2022 when Richburg and his nieces were hit head-on by Shuford, who was driving a pickup truck. Richburg had just picked the children up from daycare and was taking them to the McDonalds near 56th and Vine streets in West Philadelphia.
Shuford, who has previous convictions including another aggravated assault case, gun and drug possession, said he didn’t remember the crash. Prosecutors played a video of the 55-year-old hitting another car before the crash, getting out, looking at it and then getting back in and taking off. They say he abandoned the truck nearby and spent nearly two months on the run.
Prosecutors showed Judge Donna Woeppler pictures of 5-year-old Divinity, in a hospital bed with a feeding tube down her throat, as her aunt described the life-changing injuries she suffered, including a traumatic brain injury.
After spending six months in the hospital, Divinity now has to use leg braces, and must repeat kindergarten because her aunt says she is mentally two years behind the other kids.
Richburg said his pelvis was crushed, amid other injuries, and that he can no longer work in home improvement. He must now use a cane.
Divinity’s aunt asked how Shuford could strike young kids and drive off to leave them in the street — especially, she said, when he has children and grandchildren of his own.
Prosecutors requested 15 to 30 years for Shuford to spend behind bars, calling the crash “devastating” and tragic. The victims asked for the maximum sentence. Shuford’s defense asked for a year or two behind bars.
It took Woeppler about 40 minutes to decide before issuing her sentence.