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Jay Man Gets 41 Years For Fatal DUI Crash
August 13, 2016
A Jay man was sentenced Friday to 41 years in prison for a 2014 fatal DUI crash just hours after he was released from jail.
Melvin D. Hawthorne was convicted by a Santa Rosa County Jury of DUI manslaughter, vehicular homicide, driving while license cancelled suspended, or revoked with careless or negligent operation of a vehicle resulting in death, DUI with serious bodily injury, and DUI with property damage.
Hawthorne was sentenced as a habitual felony offender and as a prison releasee reoffender.
Hawthorne was released on bond from the Santa Rosa County Department of Corrections at approximately 9:00 a.m. on August 17, 2014.
About 12 hours later, Hawthorne was speeding in his stepfather’s black 1998 Nissan Frontier pickup truck east of Berrydale on Highway 4 when he attempted to pass a Ford F150 towing a boat that was traveling at 55 mph. Hawthorne side-swiped the Ford and continued down Highway 4. Hawthorne then ran the stop sign at the intersection of Highway 4 and Highway 87 and continued to speed. He failed to turn and crashed into a railing. Hawthorne then backed up and again sped down Highway 4. He rear-ended a Dodge Neon carrying five people.
A passenger sitting in the rear of the Neon, 13-year old Shawn McLaughlin of Baker, was entrapped in the Neon and died at the scene of the crash. Another passenger sitting in the rear seat of the Neon, Raistlin Bunch, age 14 of Baker, was also entrapped in the vehicle and suffered a severe leg fracture.
A blood sample was taken from Hawthorne and tested positive for high levels of methamphetamine. Hawthorne was identified as the driver of the Nissan truck through forensic evidence as well as witness statements.
Comments
8 Responses to “Jay Man Gets 41 Years For Fatal DUI Crash”
This wreck caused by this careless man took my son best friend.shawn is missed everyday..he should have got the death penalty. .
Melvin D, Hawthorne you should take your nose out of the air and hang your head in shame! You don’t abide by the laws of the land and have no regard for life so why the judge let you keep yours, I don’t know. Habitual, YES. I would call this premeditated vehicular homicide. Hope he serves the complete time.
Should of got life. This sorry excuse of a man should never be let out of jail again.
He should get death. Total disregard for all life including his own so I say disregard his for him
our justice system is broken. time and time again, released criminals go out and hurt the public. if you do the crime , do the time.
There should be no bond for a drunk driver. Maybe if they have to sit there and think sober they will straighten out. To let them out to get drunk and back behind the wheel puts all of us in danger and the drunk rarely dies, must be a part of the Lord’s plan to make them pay. All of us need to hide the keys to every car in the driveway.
He deserve to have got the electric chair
I hope it was worth it buddy 41 years is a pretty long time to think about it