DETROIT (WWJ) - A father whose 7-year-old daughter was killed while looking for help after he drunkenly crashed along I-94 in Romulus will spend several years in prison.
Wilburt Thomas, 48, was sentenced Thursday to four-and-a-half to 15 years in prison after earlier pleading guilty to charges of manslaughter, operating while intoxicated and second-degree child abuse.
Prosecutors say Thomas was driving a stolen van under the influence of alcohol and marijuana -- with his daughter, DeSandra Thomas, as a passenger -- when he crashed into a disabled car on I-94 near Inkster around 1:45 a.m. on July 15.
After the crash, DeSandra feared her father was dead. She got out of the van to find help and was texting police when she was struck and killed by a passing vehicle.
The driver who struck DeSandra was released without charges.
