Daryl Reynolds watched as Jayne Perkins pleaded guilty Monday to charges that she killed his two sons last year when she plowed her tractor-trailer into the back of the car they were riding in.
He watched as Judge Teresa Vincent of Guilford District Court gave Perkins a 75-day jail sentence, suspended for 18 months, and told her to pay a $750 fine.
For Reynolds, it wasn't enough. Nothing can take away the pain of losing his sons, Daryl Baucum, 15, and Isaiah Reynolds, 11.
"She got a fine, and my boys are dead," Reynolds said. "We can't allow people to just disregard our citizens and our safety and make choices that could kill someone like it did my children."
Perkins, 40, of Arkansas, pleaded guilty to one count of misdemeanor death by motor vehicle, and careless and reckless driving, Assistant District Attorney Howard Neumann said. Under state sentencing laws, Perkins could not have been sentenced to active jail time because she has no criminal record, Neumann said.
Vincent also ordered Perkins to write a letter of apology to Reynolds' family, perform 100 hours of community service, make four presentations to driver-education classes on the dangers of distracted driving and surrender her commercial driver's license.
T. Keith Black, Perkins' attorney, said Perkins is sad about what happened.
"It was a very terrible and tragic accident," he said. "My client is a law-abiding citizen that prior to today's date did not even have a speeding ticket, and she is sorry that it occurred but glad that this portion of the matter has been resolved."
Authorities said Perkins was talking on a cellphone while driving her tractor-trailer on May 9. She collided with the car on Interstate 40 in Greensboro, near the Freeman Mill Road exit. Reynolds' sons were in the back seat.
Daryl, a freshman at Reynolds High School, died that day. Isaiah, a sixth-grader at the Downtown Middle School, died two days later. Their mother, Janet Baucum Reynolds Payne, and their stepbrother, Jared Baucum, were also injured. Payne attended Monday's hearing, Daryl Reynolds said.
Soon after his sons' deaths, Daryl Reynolds lobbied state legislators to pass a law to ban cellphone use while driving. Since 2005, legislators have discussed such a law.
Legislators may consider a bill to ban cellphones while driving during the current session of the N.C. General Assembly.
But Reynolds said he is now more focused on getting stiffer penalties for distracted drivers who cause fatal wrecks.
"We just have to scare the hell out of people," he said.
mhewlett@wsjournal.com
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