A fatal wrong-way collision that led to the deaths of three teenagers from Indiana in 2021 has resulted in a 25-year prison sentence for a South Carolina woman.
Melissa Ann Parker, 46, had admitted to charges that included driving under the influence resulting in death, assault and battery, grand larceny, and hit-and-run.
The lethal crash took place on August 16, 2021, near Spartanburg, South Carolina. Parker, driving a stolen Hummer SUV in the wrong direction on Interstate 26, collided head-on with a Kia sedan carrying four teenagers from Fishers, Indiana.
Identical 17-year-old twins, Elleana Lee Gaddis and Isabella Lee Gaddis, along with their 18-year-old friend Brianna Lynn Foster, died at the scene. Maci Watts, another 17-year-old passenger, survived the crash with minor injuries.
Prosecutors reported that prior to the crash, Parker had ingested THC gummies and Adderall. The incident began when she stole a Hummer left unattended in a gas station parking lot. Parker attempted to hit a police officer at a nearby Waffle House before speeding off.
Commenting on the incident, 7th Circuit Court Solicitor, Barry Barnette, stated that drug consumption and driving equates to drunk driving. He emphasized that Parker’s decision to combine THC gummies with Adderall and then operate a stolen vehicle resulted in the tragic deaths of the three young women.
Andrew Johnston, Parker’s defense attorney, offered some explanation for his client’s actions. He claimed that Parker was experiencing a psychotic break on the night of the incident, and tried to cope by consuming THC gummies. This led to a disconnection from reality and a feeling of needing to escape, which resulted in her stealing the car and entering the Interstate against the flow of traffic.
Parker attempted to escape on foot after the crash but was swiftly detained by law enforcement officers.
Maci Watts, the only survivor of the crash, recounted the traumatic aftermath of the incident to WXIN, a Fox affiliate in Indianapolis. She described exiting the car and screaming for assistance, only to later discover that Parker had fled the scene.
The tragedy deeply affected the teenagers’ families and the community in Fishers, Indiana. Jodi Foster, Brianna Foster’s mother, told CBS affiliate WTTV in Indianapolis, “They did not deserve this. They had their whole lives ahead of them.”
“They were identical twins. They came in together, and I hope they were asleep, but I am glad they went out together,” said Andy Gaddis, father of the twin girls, expressing his sorrow to WXIN.
Besides the prison sentence, Parker was also ordered to pay $25,100 for each count of felony DUI resulting in death. She received concurrent sentences of 10 years for first-degree assault and battery, 10 years for grand larceny, and one year for hit-and-run causing minor personal injury.
Parker’s criminal history stretches back to 1998 and includes prior charges for driving under the influence, shoplifting, failure to stop for a blue light, passing fraudulent checks, burglary, and drug-related violations.
In the wake of the tragedy, the Fishers community provided support to the affected families. Local businesses donated proceeds and GoFundMe accounts were established to assist them during this difficult time.
