SNOW HILL – A Bishopville man was sentenced this week to 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to two counts of negligent homicide under the influence following a collision that claimed the lives of two individuals and injured others.
On Tuesday, Jon Kaleb Gray, 35, of Bishopville was sentenced to 10 years on one count of negligent homicide under the influence and five years on the second count for a total of 15 years to be served consecutively. Five years of the sentence were then suspended, and Gray was placed on supervised probation for three years upon his release.
Gray pleaded guilty to the two counts in August. The state filed notice it would seek enhanced penalties for Gray because of prior criminal history.
The charges against Gray were filed in June 2021 as the result of the head-on collision on June 13, 2020. Worcester County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to the area of Whaleyville Road and Shavox Church Road for the reported collision.
Upon arrival, deputies identified a total of five individuals on the scene with injuries with one declared deceased and two still trapped in their vehicles.
The investigation and accident reconstruction revealed a Nissan Altima driven by Gray had been traveling east on Whaleyville Road at a high rate of speed when it crossed the center line and collided with a Kia Sorento.
One victim was declared deceased at the scene, while a second victim was still entrapped in the front passenger seat.
That victim was extricated and transported by helicopter to the hospital where he later succumbed to his injuries.
Two female passengers of the Kia were located outside the vehicle and were also transported by ambulance to the hospital.
Gray was found unresponsive inside the Nissan and was also transported by ambulance to the hospital.
A forensics services investigation determined Gray’s blood alcohol content at the time of the collision was .13, or well over the legal limit.
