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Craddock
Craddock
Eriana Washington, 14, Danny Nichols Jr., 32, and L’amberia McDaniel, 35, never had the chance to age past a trip to go shopping in 2021, when their lives were cut short by Chance Glyn Craddock, who was under the influence of drugs and alcohol when he drove his truck over the car the victims were traveling in, taking the top off the Cadillac. A three-year-old child in the vehicle with Washington, McDaniel and Nichols – and the intoxicated driver – were the only survivors. Craddock self-reported knee and back injuries.
Craddock, charged with three counts of intoxication manslaughter from the deadly collision, pleaded guilty to all counts on Sept. 26 before Jefferson County Criminal District Court Judge John Stevens. As part of a plea deal with the district attorney’s office, Craddock would spare the family a trial – and the state would agree to concurrent sentences for whatever the judge handed down. The full term of confinement and fine for each case was a maximum of 20 years in prison and a fine; the minimum, probation.
At the sentencing hearing, Craddock, now 28, pleaded for probation. According to Craddock, in the years since the wreck, he has started a family of his own, and wants to work to pay child support to the lone surviving member of the victim vehicle.
“In prison, I’m not capable of helping,” Craddock said. “I’m not a bad person; I messed up that day. “I want to be able to help them.”
Craddock’s words to the court were very different from what he first uttered to investigators, according to a PSI (presentence report) admitted into evidence during the hearing.
“You’re first statement was you wasn’t at fault for the wreck and the Cadillac swerved into your lane,” Stevens’ read of a review of the PSI, which also revealed that the probation interviewer performing the PSI evaluation believed Craddock was in denial of an alcohol addiction and noted lies throughout the process.
“I was scared; I have never been in trouble before,” Craddock said of why he first lied about his culpability. Craddock’s attorney added in that the defendant has not driven intoxicated since the crash, set aside $20,000 to give to the surviving child, as well as offer up continuing child support.
“In addition to that, he has set up a scholarship at Lamar University in the names of the deceased and has funded it,” the defense attorney offered in support of Craddock, co-signed by several letters of support for Craddock’s release indicating that he is a good person full of remorse.
Craddock’s supporters were not the only voices heard in court, however. The family of the victims had the opportunity to speak, as well.
“Her smile would light up a room,” McDaniel’s mother remembered of her baby girl as she fought back tears and explained that she was also the grandmother of the 14-year-old victim, who she called “RiRi.”
RiRi was a dancer, played volleyball, and excelled in STEM studies. Who knows what she would have accomplished in life. McDaniel had purchased a home for her family just 10 days before her death. Things had been looking up.
“You destroyed not only her dreams, but mine, as well,” McDaniel’s mother addressed Craddock. “RiRi will never graduate high school, never be married, never have children, never have grandchildren … “I’m going to miss those things for her.”
“I’m broken. My heart is in a million pieces,” she added.
“There’s no winning in any of this,” Stevens said. “There were three lives lost, each of which had value that you cannot quantify.
“Unfortunately, you can’t go back in time. Unfortunately, you cannot bring lives back. And, unfortunately, when a life is lost because of wrongful acts done, there is really little quid pro quo.”
In Stevens’ experience, juries assess punishment at 20 years in prison for these types of cases – and he was prepared to do the same.
“I have tried numerous intoxication manslaughters and every jury decision was the maximum 20-year sentence, every one of them,” Stevens said, also assessing a 20-year prison sentence for the crime. “This is going to be emotional for everybody involved – everybody.”
At the request of the PSI interviewer, Stevens reviewed crime scene photos before assessing sentencing. The top of the vehicle was torn off; “It’s a catastrophic event,” Stevens understated.
Words were harder to come by to describe the photos depicting decapitation of a man just reaching the prime of life. Nor could Stevens utter a review of photography revealing the injuries sustained by the young teenage girl.
“I can’t imagine what the family is going through,” the prosecutor interjected. “Only by the grace of God,” was the three-year-old also in the vehicle not killed. “There’s just no way he can ever repay what he took that day.”
Before being taken into custody to begin serving his two-decade prison sentence, Craddock was remorseful in words.
“I can’t change anything that I’ve done,” Craddock said. “I wish it was me instead of them.”