Background: The Whitley County Detention Center in Williamsburg, Kentucky (Google Maps). Inset: Darius Wade (Whitley County Detention Center).
A man drove a moped drunk on a Kentucky interstate with his girlfriend's 10-year-old daughter aboard before crashing and killing her.
Darius Wade was charged with murder and operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol in the crash that killed the child, the Kentucky State Police said at the time. This week, he pleaded guilty to second-degree manslaughter and first-degree wanton endangerment, regional CBS and The CW affiliate WKYT reported.
On Aug. 4, 2024, Wade, then 31, was driving a moped north on I-75 in Whitley County, Kentucky, with his girlfriend's 10-year-old daughter, whom authorities did not identify. The major highway runs north-south from Tennessee to Ohio.
At the same time, a 43-year-old man from Indiana was driving a 2011 Kia Sportage SUV north. At some point, the Kia driver struck the moped.
Troopers responded to the scene at about 11:20 p.m., and both Wade and the child had to be taken to a local hospital and then airlifted to another one.
The 10-year-old was pronounced dead, and Wade was arrested. He can be seen in a mugshot wearing a neck brace.
The girl's mother, Danisha Martin, was also charged and ultimately sentenced to 10 years in prison for complicity to reckless homicide, according to the local TV station. She will have to serve at least two years in prison before being placed on probation for five years.
Police reportedly said that Martin knew about Wade having a drinking problem, but allowed her daughter to ride with him because she didn't believe he was drunk at the time.
Wade reportedly did not have a license to operate the moped and was cited for apparent off-highway vehicle violations.
He is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 21.