J.R Smith Sentenced to 30 Days in Jail in Fatal Car Accident
Denver Nuggets guard J.R Smith has been sentenced to 30 days in a jail in Monmouth County jail after he pleaded guilty earlier this week to reckless driving in a 2007 car accident that killed his friend. The judge sentenced him to 90 days in the jail, but suspended 60 days. He has also been ordered to perform community service.
On June 9th 2007, Smith with basketball player Carl Marshal and his friend Andre Bell were on their way to his new home in his parent's 2003 GMC Yukon Denali. Smith drove around a vehicle that was stopped at a Millstone intersection, but crashed into another vehicle coming from the other side. Both Smith and Bell were thrown from the SUV. Bell suffered serious head injuries, and died two days later. His mother Wanda Bell has told investigators that she does not want Smith to face criminal prosecution because of her family’s desire for closure. However she will proceed with civil charges in the accident. According to Bell, she is proceeding with her wrongful death lawsuit because Smith has not made efforts to stop his dangerous driving habits which were responsible for the accident in the first place.
Smith has expressed remorse for the accident, and offered his apologies to Bell’s mother. He has even vowed to stop his dangerous driving habits. However, his actions speak otherwise. Between the time of the fatal accident and March of 2008, Smith has allegedly accumulated two more speeding tickets and three more license suspensions. His license is currently suspended for two years, and he will only regain his driving rights in August 2010. At the time of the accident, he had 27 points and five suspensions on his record. Most of the violations seemed to involve speeding.
With Smith setting up temporary residence at the Monmouth County jail in Freehold, do I believe that this fatal accident and the death of his friend will make him change his rash driving ways? I wouldn't bet on it, but hopefully a civil lawsuit will be able to make him see the error of his ways.
Scott Grossman is a New Jersey personal injury lawyer, representing victims in Monmouth, Bergen, and Passaic Counties and all over New Jersey.
