By Betsy Finklea
Jenni Hunt, age 27, the woman charged in a wreck which injured a Dillon Police Officer and killed a passenger in her vehicle pled guilty on Monday morning at the Dillon County Judicial Center before Judge Roger Young.
An attorney from the S.C. Attorney General’s Office stated that this was a negotiated plea. Hunt was pleading guilty to reckless vehicular homicide and felony DUI with great bodily injury. Another charge of felony DUI with great bodily injury was nol prossed. She would be sentenced to 15 years (non-violent).
The Attorney General’s Office attorney said the incident occurred on July 6, 2014 at approximately 2:00 a.m. at the intersection of S.C. Highway 9 and Harllee’s Bridge Road. Dillon City Police Officer Jacob Richardson was heading to an officer in distress call with his siren on and lights activated. Hunt and three others passengers were coming in a direction towards him. The posted speed limit was 35 mph. Richardson was traveling 108 mph on his way to the call, and Hunt was traveling 22 mph, the attorney said. She took a left turn, cutting off Officer Richardson’s vehicle, and caused the collision.Officer Richardson sustained severe injuries. A passenger in the vehicle, Bobbie Lynn Britt, died primarily from head injuries. Another passenger was injured, and Hunt herself sustained injuries. All victims were transported to the hospital for treatment. At approximately 5:00 a.m., Hunt was tested and had a blood alcohol level of .116. At another point when she was tested, it was higher than that.
The family of Officer Jacob Richardson and law enforcement representing him were present. No one was present from the Britt family.
Ed Richardson, Officer Richardson’s father, spoke emotionally about what his family had gone through during the past almost four years. He said things changed four years ago for his son and their family. He said Officer Richardson had gone through nearly 30 surgeries. He said his son had two brain injuries and rods in his arms and legs. They were in the hospital for birthdays, Thanksgivings, and Christmases.
“I was a very angry man,” said Richardson, until he made the decision to give his boy back to God and let go of his anger. He said his son was his blessing.
Richardson said Officer Richardson has several more surgeries ahead. He said when he asks him what he wants, he says “normal.” He wants things back to normal.
Richardson said he had thought about the outcome and that it didn’t matter if it was 15 years or 100 years, at the end of the day, no matter what, there is no winner. “Everybody lost—my son lost, my family lost, the Britt family lost, the Hunt family lost.” He said there are “no winners,” but there had to be justice and accountability.
He said that it was his hope and his prayer that the good that came out of this would be that nothing like this would ever happen to any law enforcement officer, first responder, etc. again.
Dillon Police Chief David Lane said Officer Richardson was doing exactly what he loved. He loved his job. He loved the people he worked with, and he would love nothing more than to go back to working and serving the people of the City of Dillon, but unfortunately that will never happen.
Hunt, the defendant, tearfully read a letter where she stated that she had wanted to reach out to Officer Richardson and his family, but lawyers had told her not to do so. She sad she sincerely apologized for what had occurred and said she deeply regretted it. Hunt said on that particular night that she was celebrating getting into nursing school She said she had a designated driver, but when they were leaving, she realized that her designated driver was not fit to drive and that she made a horrible decision. She said this was not her normal behavior.
A passenger in the car also spoke on Hunt’s behalf as well as her mother. Her mother in her remarks apologized for Hunt’s actions and said she regretted that Hunt had not called her to pick her up.
Judge Young said cases like this are often difficult when a life was lost and other lives would never be the same. He said this had a very tragic outcome.
The judge accepted the negotiated plea and sentenced Hunt to 15 years for the felony DUI with great bodily injury and 10 years for reckless vehicular homicide.
