A woman from South Carolina has been sentenced to 25 years in prison in connection with a fatal crash in 2021 that resulted in the deaths of three teenagers from Indiana.
Melissa Ann Parker, 46, pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including driving under the influence leading to death, assault and battery, grand larceny, and hit-and-run.
The fatal collision took place on August 16, 2021, near 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 carrying four teenagers from Fishers, Indiana.
Elleana Lee Gaddis and Isabella Lee Gaddis, identical twins aged 17, and their 18-year-old friend Brianna Lynn Foster, were killed at the scene of the crash. The fourth teenager, Maci Watts, aged 17, survived the collision with minor injuries.
Prosecutors stated that prior to the crash, Parker had ingested THC gummies and Adderall. The series of events began when she stole an unattended Hummer from a gas station parking lot. She then tried to hit a police officer at a nearby Waffle House before rapidly fleeing the scene.
Barry Barnette, the 7th Circuit Court Solicitor, noted that the incident was entirely preventable and equated drug-impaired driving to drunk driving. He stated that Parker’s choice to consume THC gummies and Adderall, and then operate a stolen vehicle, resulted in the tragic deaths of three young women.
Andrew Johnston, Parker’s attorney, explained that his client suffered a psychotic break on the night of the incident. She attempted to manage her condition with THC gummies, lost touch with reality, believed she was in danger, and fled in the stolen vehicle, entering the Interstate in the wrong direction.
Parker left the scene of the crash on foot but was quickly detained by law enforcement officers.
Maci Watts, the only survivor, recounted her ordeal to Indianapolis Fox affiliate WXIN. She said she managed to leave the car and began screaming for help. She later discovered that Parker had also exited her vehicle and fled the scene.
The tragic loss of the three teenagers deeply impacted their families and the community in Fishers, Indiana. Jodi Foster, the mother of Brianna Foster, told CBS affiliate WTTV in Indianapolis, “They did not deserve this. They had their whole lives ahead of them.”
Andy Gaddis, the father of the twins, expressed his anguish to WXIN: “They were identical twins. They came in together, and I hope they were asleep, but I am glad they went out together.”
In addition to the 25-year prison sentence, Parker was ordered to pay a $25,100 fine for each count of felony DUI resulting in death. She was also given concurrent sentences of 10 years for assault and battery of the first degree, 10 years for grand larceny, and one year for hit-and-run resulting in minor personal injury.
Parker’s past criminal record, dating back to 1998, includes charges for driving under the influence, shoplifting, failure to stop for a blue light, passing fraudulent checks, burglary, and drug-related offenses.
In response to the tragedy, the Fishers community has rallied around the victims’ families, with local businesses contributing proceeds and GoFundMe accounts established to provide support in the aftermath of the loss.
