A former Hot Springs woman convicted of manslaughter in a 2016 fatal wreck was sentenced to the maximum of 10 years in prison Wednesday after a one-day jury hearing in Garland County Circuit Court.
Vickey Miracle Dean, 32, who now lists a Charlotte, N.C., address, was originally charged with negligent homicide, punishable by up to 20 years in prison, in connection with the Jan. 15, 2016, three-car wreck that claimed the life of William C. Johnston, 63, of Royal.
Dean pleaded guilty Wednesday morning to an amended charge of manslaughter and after hearing a full day of testimony, the six-man, six-woman jury deliberated for 37 minutes before recommending the maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a $1,500 fine.
Deputy Prosecutor Ron Jones, who represented the state, said Thursday he had amended the charge to manslaughter because Dean was found to have meth in her system at the time of the wreck, but "we don't have a set limit with drug intoxication. With alcohol, it's 0.8 percent, but there isn't one with drugs so it gets a little trickier."
He said the manslaughter charge involves "recklessness" and he argued she was reckless when "she first ingested drugs and then got behind the wheel of a vehicle. That made her a weapon."
Jones said he wanted to thank the jury for sending a message to the community "that the life of Bill Johnston mattered" by giving her the maximum sentence.
According to the probable cause affidavit, on Jan. 15, 2016, around 5:15 a.m., Arkansas State Police Cpl. James Avant responded to a wreck in the area of Highway 270 west and Hildreth Road, near the Highway 227 junction, involving three vehicles.
Based on his investigation at the scene, Avant determined Dean, driving a 2004 Dodge pickup, was westbound on Highway 270 and attempted to turn left onto Hildreth Road. She collided with the front of an eastbound 2009 Hyundai driven by Johnston, which caused Johnston's vehicle to catch fire.
A 2015 Buick Enclave, driven by Arvin L. Williams, 71, of Benton, was also eastbound behind Johnston, and Williams was unable to avoid colliding with the left rear side of Johnston's vehicle.
The Hyundai was engulfed in flames upon the arrival of emergency personnel, Fire Chief Tim McDorman of the Piney Fire Department told The Sentinel-Record on the day of the wreck. Firefighters extinguished the fire within five minutes, he said.
The affidavit notes Johnston did not exit his vehicle and was found deceased inside with extensive thermal charring across the majority of his body. He was later positively identified by dental records. He was pronounced dead at the scene by Garland County Coroner Stuart Smedley at 5:37 a.m.
The body was sent to the state crime lab for an autopsy, which determined he was deceased prior to the vehicle catching fire. The cause of death was listed as the multiple blunt force injuries he sustained in the collision.
Dean was injured in the wreck and transported by LifeNet to CHI St. Vincent Hot Springs where blood was drawn and given to Avant, who sent it to the state crime lab for analysis. Her blood results returned positive for meth. Blood samples taken from Williams and Johnston returned negative for alcohol or drugs.
A warrant for Dean's arrest was issued on Oct. 16, 2016, and she was taken into custody on Nov. 5, 2017, and later released on $5,000 bond.
Local on 02/09/2018