A woman from South Carolina is set to serve 25 years in prison following a fatal wrong-way accident that claimed the lives of three teenagers from Indiana in 2021.
Melissa Ann Parker, 46, entered a guilty plea to charges ranging from driving under the influence resulting in death, assault and battery, grand larceny, to hit-and-run.
The fatal collision occurred on August 16, 2021, in the vicinity of Spartanburg, South Carolina. Parker was driving a stolen Hummer SUV in the wrong direction on Interstate 26 when she collided head-on with a Kia sedan occupied by four teenagers from Fishers, Indiana.
At the accident scene, 17-year-old identical twins, Elleana Lee Gaddis and Isabella Lee Gaddis, as well as their friend Brianna Lynn Foster, 18, lost their lives. However, a fourth teenager, Maci Watts, 17, survived the crash suffering only minor injuries.
Prosecutors revealed that prior to the incident, Parker had consumed THC gummies and Adderall. She had stolen an unattended Hummer from a gas station parking lot and attempted to strike a police officer at a nearby Waffle House before speeding off.
Barry Barnette, 7th Circuit Court Solicitor, pointed out that the tragic incident could have been avoided. He equated drug-impaired driving to drunk driving and asserted that Parker’s decision to consume THC gummies and Adderall, then drive a stolen vehicle, resulted in the horrific deaths of the three young women.
Andrew Johnston, Parker’s attorney, attempted to provide some context for his client’s actions. He claimed that on the night of the tragic event, Parker had a psychotic break and tried to self-medicate with THC gummies. In her disconnected state, she felt compelled to escape, stealing a car and entering the Interstate in the wrong direction.
Following the fatal collision, Parker ran from the scene but was swiftly apprehended by law enforcement officers.
Maci Watts, the sole survivor of the crash, shared her experience with Indianapolis Fox affiliate WXIN. She said she managed to exit the wrecked car, stand up, and scream for help. Later, she learned that Parker had crawled from her vehicle and fled the scene.
The tragic loss of the three teenagers has deeply affected their families and the community in Fishers, Indiana. “They did not deserve this. They had their whole lives ahead of them,” lamented Jodi Foster, the mother of Brianna Foster, in an interview with CBS affiliate WTTV in Indianapolis.
“They were identical twins. They came in together, and I hope they were asleep, but I am glad they went out together,” conveyed a grief-stricken Andy Gaddis, the father of the twin girls, to WXIN.
In addition to her 25-year prison term, Parker was also ordered to pay a $25,100 fine for each count of felony DUI resulting in death. She received concurrent sentences of 10 years for assault and battery in the first degree, 10 years for grand larceny, and one year for hit-and-run with minor personal injury.
Parker’s criminal record dates back to 1998 and includes previous charges of driving under the influence, shoplifting, failure to stop for a blue light, passing fraudulent checks, burglary, and drug-related offenses.
In the wake of the tragedy, the Fishers community has rallied around the victims’ families, with local businesses donating proceeds, and GoFundMe accounts established to provide financial support.