MORGANTOWN — For leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death, a Morgantown woman will spend 90 days in prison before serving the rest of her 1- to 5-year sentence on home confinement.
A lot of people might disagree with the sentence he handed out to Codie Richards, 29, and “rightly so,” Judge Phillip Gaujot said.
“You took the life of somebody,” Gaujot told Richards. “So, if you fail on home confinement, you can expect that I will complete the sentence with incarceration.”
Richards must turn herself in by 5 p.m. on Wednesday.
On Dec. 28, 2019, Richards was driving on Dorsey Avenue, without a driver’s license, when she crossed the center line and crashed into a vehicle driven by Shelley Duffer, 57, Prosecutor Perri DeChristopher said. After the crash, Richards backed up, drove around Duffer’s driver’s side and left. Duffer died on Jan. 9 — 12 days after the crash.
Richards pleaded guilty to leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death in January.
In February, Richards again drove without a license — which she has never had — and crossed the center line causing another crash, DeChristopher said. Those charges are pending in Monongalia County Magistrate Court. Richards suffered a compound fracture in that crash and was using a walker at Monday’s hearing.
Prior to a hearing in March, Richards tested positive for fentanyl and the hearing was rescheduled. She has since completed a 28-day inpatient rehabilitation program at the Center for Hope and Healing, her attorney David DeMoss said.
Richards said she went into a deep depression after the crash and started using drugs to dull the pain, but that drugs weren’t the answer and only made things worse.
DeChristopher said Richards only took action to get clean to save herself from going to prison.
“While I think it’s great that she is sober right now, that sobriety comes at the cost of Ms. Duffer’s life,” DeChristopher said.
In a statement to the court, Richards apologized to Duffer’s family for being a coward, a liar, and for her death. She said she thinks of Duffer every day and if she could trade places with her, she would, but she can’t.
“All I can do now is let people know how truly sorry I am,” Richards said.
By getting behind the wheel of another vehicle, Richards was, at the time, a risk to society, Gaujot said. He also acknowledged she appeared to be addressing her drug problem and wanted to give her an opportunity to serve her sentence on home confinement after incarceration.
Duffer’s family was not at the hearing. DeChristopher said they had been in constant contact with her office and the victim advocacy program, but couldn’t bring themselves to attend Monday’s hearing.
