A 58-year-old man who pleaded guilty today to driving drunk in a crash that killed 9-year-old Abby Douglas on the Westbank received a 30-year prison sentence.
Judge Stephen Grefer gave Wendell Lachney the maximum sentence, WWL-TV reports.
It was October 22 of last year when Lachney plowed into the back of a minivan being driven by Douglas' mother at the intersection of Lapalco Blvd. and Belle Chasse Highway. Crash investigators say Lachney was traveling around 60-75 mph when the crash happened. Abby Douglas was sitting in the minivan's third row, and died two days later from her injuries.
The police report says officers found open whiskey, wine, and beer bottles in Lachney's vehicle. Prosecutors say his blood-alcohol content was 0.22, more than twice the legal limit of 0.08.
