Insets, from left: Joseph Traylor (Caldwell County Jail) and Terry Traylor (Morgan's Funeral Home). Background: The 300 block of Beverly Lane in Princeton, Kentucky, where Traylor killed his son Terry in a motorcycle crash (Google Maps).
A Kentucky father will spend decades behind bars after he killed his toddler son in a motorcycle crash when he strapped the boy to his chest and slammed into a telephone pole while trying a wheelie.
Joseph Traylor, 50, was sentenced to 20 years in prison on Friday after he pleaded guilty to vehicular manslaughter while under the influence in the death of 1-year-old Terry Traylor, according to a courtroom report from local radio station WKDZ. He also pleaded guilty to reckless driving.
Traylor was originally charged with murder before he reached a plea deal with prosecutors on the lesser charge in July.
The crash happened around 6:45 p.m. July 5, 2024, in the 300 block of Beverly Lane in Princeton, which is about 170 miles southwest of Louisville, cops said at the time.
Paramedics rushed Traylor and his son to a local hospital. Terry was later airlifted to a hospital in Nashville, Tennessee, where he died.
"The investigation revealed that Traylor was operating a motorcycle with a 15-month-old strapped to his chest, driving the wrong way on a one-way street, and attempting a wheelie before losing control of the motorcycle and striking a telephone pole," cops wrote.
The road is narrow, Google Maps images show.
Cops arrested Traylor once he was released from the hospital.
Per WKDZ, prosecutors said Terry's death has had a profound impact on his family. Circuit Judge Jamus Redd called the case a tragedy and said he hoped the prison sentence would provide the family closure.
Terry's obituary said his "infectious smile was a blessing to all who knew him during his brief journey on earth."
"Terry's memory will be lovingly remembered by his devoted family," it reads.
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