I-TEAM UPDATE: Driver pleads guilty in crash victim death, but wont spend a day behind bars
HARLEM, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - Life-long sweethearts, Clayton and Shirley Morris were rarely apart.
The couple was sitting side by side when a tractor-trailer slammed into them almost two years ago.
A News 12 investigation first exposed how that driver should have never been behind the wheel the day she claimed not one, but two lives.
On Monday, Christina Richardson was in a Columbia County courtroom to learn her fate and your I-TEAM was there.
Richardson faced several years for a list of charges including two counts of vehicular homicide, but she won’t spend a day behind bars.
That’s because the family asked the judge to keep her out of prison.
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Shirley Morris loved Christmas, and this will be her family’s 3rd one without her and Clayton.
As much as they loved giving presents, their family gave the woman who took both their lives a priceless gift in court on Monday.
They asked Judge Barry Flemming to not give Richardson any jail time.
“One she’s a mother and I think any child shouldn’t know their mother is in prison,” said Cathy Morris Thurmond, their daughter.
They also believe jail time can’t bring Shirley or Clayton back, but they made an important request.
In lieu of jail time, they asked the judge to make sure Richardson doesn’t drive commercially anymore.
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The judge can’t ban it indefinitely, but he can and did make it a provision of her probation, which is 3 years.
“We just felt like the main thing that we wanted was for her not to be able to drive again because we didn’t want anybody else to maybe have to go through what we’ve gone through with her behind the wheel,” said Daniel Morris, their son. “We realized it was an accident, but we also realized that maybe it could have been prevented.”
Prevented – after an I-TEAM investigation exposed Richardson’s driving record.
Back in 2022, she was charged with homicide by vehicle, following too closely, driving with an expired license, driving without a license and operating an uned vehicle.
But just months earlier she had been ticketed for operating an uned vehicle and using her phone while driving.
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The I-TEAM found her social media s also reflected what appeared to be using her phone while driving.
She also named her truck the neck-breaker.
And then there are the tickets, at least 12 that we could find, seven for speeding.
“If you’re not paying attention to what you’re doing and if you’re gonna drive a big truck like that, you need to respect the road,” said Daniel. “Respect what you’re doing, respect others, and just prevent these things from happening because it just destroys families.”
But their family is choosing to forgive.
Even though their loved ones won’t be around the tree this Christmas, Richardson’s kids will get to spend the holidays with their mom.
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Richardson pleaded guilty to two counts of homicide by vehicle in the second degree and following too closely.
She could have been sentenced to several years in prison.
The Morris family told me their parents would have been proud of them today.
They were raised to love and forgive, and that’s exactly what they did.
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