Brownfield man gets up to 6 years in fatal vehicle crash
A Brownfield man was sentenced in Fayette County Court on Thursday to up to six years in prison for his role in a vehicle accident that claimed the life of a West Virginia man in 2013.
Randall John Breaux, 36, pleaded guilty to homicide by vehicle, homicide by vehicle while driving under the influence, endangering the welfare of a child, two counts of DUI, and several summary driving offenses in December.
Sheldon Gene Smith, 60, Morgantown, was killed Nov. 4, 2013, when his truck was struck head-on by Breaux’s vehicle. State police said Breaux was traveling southbound on New Geneva Road, about one mile south of Friendship Hill Park, when his 2012 Chevrolet Silverado crossed over into the northbound lane and struck Smith’s GMC Sonoma.
According to the criminal complaint, Breaux admitted to investigating officer Trooper Dominick A. Berlin that he had been drinking prior to the accident.
Breaux and his 13-year-old daughter Avery were taken to Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown for medical treatment.
Before Judge Linda Cordaro handed down the three-to-six-year sentence, Assistant District Attorney Phyllis Jin presented victim impact statements to the court.
Jin called Traci Van Dyke-Heilman, victim services specialist for Mothers Against Drunk Driving’s western Pennsylvania office, to read a statement prepared by Amy Breaux, Randall Breaux’s ex-wife. Amy Breaux and the couple’s three children reside in Texas.
The statement indicated Avery Breaux had recently moved to Pennsylvania to live with her father. Amy Breaux’s letter said she and her ex-husband had been “improving our co-parenting skills” since their divorce, and that he was getting regular drug testing in order to maintain his bi-weekly visitation with the three children before Avery moved.
Amy Breaux’s letter said she was shocked to get a phone call from her daughter on Nov. 4, saying, “Me and daddy got into a wreck. I’m hurt and I can’t find my dad.” A doctor informed Amy Breaux she had 24 hours to pick up her daughter or the child would be placed in child protective custody when she was released from the hospital.
She said she took the next flight from Houston to Pittsburgh, and when she got to the hospital, she found her daughter with neck, shoulder and ankle injuries. “Her hair was full of broken glass,” the statement said. “She was in severe pain.” Amy Breaux said she couldn’t bear to tell her daughter right away that Smith had died, because the child was still dealing with not only her own injuries, but the impact of her father’s injuries, which put him in the intensive care unit.
Later after they returned home, Amy Breaux said she overheard Avery speaking to her father on the phone, and heard her screaming, “I never want to talk to you again.”
“He called her a bunch of vulgar names and blamed Mr. Smith’s death on her,” the statement said.
Randall Breaux, seated next to his attorney, Jack Connor, bowed his head and sobbed as Van Dyke-Heilman continued to read about the effect the accident has had on Avery and the impact Randall Breaux’s impending incarceration has had on the other two children, Aiden and Riley.
“This is not Mr. Breaux’s first time driving a vehicle when he should not be,” according to Amy Breaux’s statement.
Jin also read a statement from Valerie Glass, the ex-wife of the victim. Glass indicated she was writing on behalf of Smith’s daughter, Jordan.
“Jordan and her dad were very close and this has been very hard for her,” the letter stated. Smith was an attentive, caring father who supported his daughter in any way he could, and, “in a split second, that was all taken from her.”
“I am asking you to please sentence him to the harshest penalty allowed,” Glass’ letter said.
Randall Breaux said he wished to make a statement as well.
“Your Honor, I just want to say I made a bad choice and I destroyed people’s lives and hurt people, and I’m sorry,” Randall Breaux stated through tears. “He was a veteran, and I’m a veteran. He was a brother — whether we knew each other or not, we had that bond.”
As he was being handcuffed and taken into custody, Randall Breaux said to his loved ones seated in the gallery, “I love you all. I’m sorry for everything.”
Outside the courtroom, Smith’s family expressed disappointment they were not contacted to prepare victim impact statements themselves.
His brother, David Smith, of Morgantown, said that before Thursday’s hearing, Randall Breaux had never shown remorse.
“He’s upset because he’s convicted,” David Smith said. “He’s not remorseful for killing someone.”
David Smith described his brother as a caring, kind and helpful man to whom family was very important.
“He never met a stranger,” David Smith said. “He would talk to anyone. Nothing intimidated him. He would go out of his way to help anyone.”
The victim’s sister, Janet Sines, of Smithfield, said her only consolation was that Randall Breaux would “burn in hell” for his crime. She expressed disappointment in the sentence, saying, “A person would get more time for leaving their dog outside.”