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Driver in fatal wreck goes to prison

Keith Walker, News & Messenger
Published: October 10, 2008

At times, Lisa Martin had difficulty speaking through her tears as she talked about her daughter, Hannah Leigh Boyd, who was killed in a car accident on Braemar Parkway in Bristow in November.

"I am a walking shade of my former self," Martin said.

Martin testified Friday in Prince William Circuit Court during the sentencing of Ashley Brook Colter, who was convicted earlier this year of aggravated involuntary manslaughter in the car wreck.

Colter, who was 18 at the time of the accident, was driving drunk and lost control of her Volkswagen Jetta as she drove south on the parkway. During the accident, the car rolled several times and struck several trees in the median before coming to rest on the northbound side of the road. Boyd, a passenger in the backseat, was thrown out and died at the scene.

Judge William D. Hamblen sentenced Colter to seven years, with six years suspended, and five years of proba-tion.

Martin told the court that she hadn't yet come to terms with her daughter's death and talked of a girl who hoped to be a nurse and was "outgoing" and an "advocate for the underdog."

"I still tell myself that it's only a nightmare and I will wake up and Hannah will still be alive," the Georgia woman read from a prepared statement.

Martin told Hamblen that she could still be reduced to tears by a simple trip to the grocery store. Seeing her daugh-ter's favorite foods on the shelves was sometimes more than she could bear.

She said she had "bad days and worse days."

"My heart hurts when I watch my friends hug their own daughters," Martin said.

When Colter took the stand, she told the court about the night of the accident when she attended two

parties.

She recounted what she remembered of the details of the accident.

Court records show that Colter was driving with a blood alcohol content of .14 while the legal limit is .08.

Colter said she did not remember driving in a reckless manner, nor did she remember the three passengers asking her to drive more safely.

When Hamblen asked Colter if she had anything to say before sentencing, Colter said she was at a loss.

"I don't even know how to express my remorse to Hannah's family," Colter said. "I just want to express my deepest sorrow."

Colter said she "deserved the consequences" for her actions.

Hamblen told Colter that it was natural for children to bury their parents, not the other way around.

"It's not the way things should be," Hamblen said. "The moral response for you is to seek to atone for what you have done."

Keith Walker can be reached at 703-369-6751.

Reader Reactions

Posted by ( one2know ) on October 29, 2008 at 12:17 am

All of those i hate ashley pages and other stuff placing full blame on ashley are really immature i think. We all need to jus take a step back and realise that yes ashley was driving, and driving recklesly at that, but what does all this do? i mean these groups about hating her and all the talk about how shes a b**** doesnt solve or fix anything. even some people complaining about how the sentence wasnt strict enough. the judge did what he did so that he gave a tough sentence but with room for ashley to prove that hse has changhed. i mean she might only serve 1 year but just one slip up and shes in for 7. so i agree with the judge on this one and i think that all that bs needs to end. O and this is comming from someone sitting on hannahs side of the courtroom.

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Posted by ( kstepp ) on October 28, 2008 at 4:30 pm

Respect ashly’s family why? They still have their daughter? No matter the place she is I am damn sure hannah would rather be alive and in jail then dead!

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Posted by ( anonymous1 ) on October 28, 2008 at 3:59 pm

When I had stated learning a lesson, I meant for those kids not only in the car, at the party, and any young teen that knows of this tragedy. It would be a shame for anybody to know someone involved in this horrific incident or even to have been at the party to continue to go out and drink and drive. So many of us think that something like this can’t and won’t happen to us, when that is not true at all. In knowing a main party involved in this and hearing the full story of events from someone being there and involved, I can attest that it has personally impacted me and the decisions I may or may not make when out. And in knowing the person who was convicted of this, I can personally say that she not once stated that she didn’t want to sit in jail for a mistake that would cost her the best years of her life. She is truly remorseful for what occurred. Lastly, in these events all of us need to respect Hannah and her family as they grief and Ashley and her family. Yes, again, what happened was a tragedy, but these kids out here that are dedicating “I hate ashley” pages on myspace, facebook, etc. needs to end as well. The judge issued the punishment he did, and again, you cannot put a price on another’s life but remember and rejoice in the memories and good times of Hannah. My condolences do go out to the Boyd family for none of us can truly understand what it is they are going through until we ourselves are placed in that position. Again, anybody reading the story of events or that were there that night, knew Hannah or even knows Ashley, please learn from this so that we do not have to bury another teen or even an adult.

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Posted by ( one2know ) on October 28, 2008 at 3:31 pm

First of all nomatter what the events of that night were, or the poor decisions made by all parties involved, the fact of the matter is that this girl was driving the car reclesly and under the influence. Just because everyone in the car was drunk ddoes not mean that should make what the girl did any less wrong. she should pay for her actions and maybe a year in jail just doesnt do that. especially judgeing whether or not she learned her lesson and will never do it again. but i cant help but t think she is a little ignorant and niave sp still because it seems like she was saying “well everyone does it” and “i dont want to sit in jail for a mistake that will cost me the best years of my life”. well what about the girl hannahs life? but it is true that all the blame cant be put on this girl becuase blaming her doesnt change anything. I personally would put more blame on whoever made them leave where they were in the first place drunk at 2 in the AM. or maybe even the rescue vehicles that took 17 minutes to get there when there are 3 firestations within 4 miles of there. its a sad situation and yes this girl did mess up and another girl lossed her life becuase of it, but this not the most important thing to be focused on or loosing sleep over.

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Posted by ( kstepp ) on October 28, 2008 at 9:36 am

Yes I understand they were drunk to but they didn’t lose their life. And I agree with you there is no punishment that will ever bring hannah back, but it makes me feel better knowing Ashley has no life in jail.

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Posted by ( anonymous1 ) on October 28, 2008 at 9:09 am

I have been in your position before and lost a dear friend due to a drunk driving incident. And yes, the young girl who unfortunately lost her life may have been too drunk to realize what was going on by getting into the vehicle, but it appears that everyone in that vehicle were too drunk to realize what was going on as this is coming from a dear friend of a few people that were involved. I know in many people’s eyes justice wasn’t served as when losing a loved one, no judgement or punishment for that other person will ever serve as enough justice. I just hope that this is a lesson learned by these kids to know that drinking and driving is not something that can be taken lightly. And yes, being 18 the parents may not have a say, but numerous kids at that party were still in high school. Unfortunately, not all will take this as a life lesson as it should be.

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Posted by ( kstepp ) on October 28, 2008 at 8:39 am

First off the girl who was killed was to intoxicated to know where she was going or what she was doing it was the other passengers who put her there, regardless of wether it was irresponsible or not, it was the driver who had the decision to make, she chose to drive drunk. We are all amd aware at young ages what alcohol does to you so when you make the choice to drink and then drive and offer a ride to someone else you then are responsible for the other people’s life not just your own. And how would it be the parents fault for letting them go and drink they are 18 years old they are adults, their parents have nothing to do with what they do anymore! This is coming from a dear friend of Hannah and she was an amazing girl and did not deserve this, and if this had happened to you or someone else you know, I am sure your opinion would be different.

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Posted by ( anonymous1 ) on October 17, 2008 at 11:24 am

I would have to agree with IMAreader on this. It is unfair to pin all of this on this girl when everyone else must’ve been just as drunk and didn’t want to drive nor did they want to take the risk to do so. Being young and alcohol is the issue here and it turning into a very unfortunate situation. If anybody wants to point fingers then there are man people to point at, the ones that served all of these KIDS who were UNDERAGE alcohol, the parents of these kids who allowed their UNDERAGE kids to go out and drink and not keep closer eye on them, etc. Don’t be so quick to judge one person and their lapse in judgement that yes, was a fatal one but those same kids that were in the vehicle with her are the same ones drove to the party drunk already. Look at the whole picture and not just one aspect.

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Posted by ( IMAreader ) on October 14, 2008 at 10:03 pm

I have to say that I don’t belive that these drivers should be held accountable for the deaths of their passengers. Obviously the passengers KNEW she had been drinking and should have had enough sense not to get in to the car. They took that risk and unfortunately it costs a life. I do feel for the parents and family of the girl for their loss but don’t feel the girl can be at fault for their bad choices. Just my opinion. And yes, before you ask, I have buried not one but two of my children so I do know what it’s like.

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Posted by ( IMAreader ) on October 14, 2008 at 9:58 pm

wow.. unfortunate situation

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