A college student from Milton will serve just three to four months in custody for causing a wreck that killed a 64-year-old Woodstock woman who was on her way to pick up her grandchild.
Kendall Elizabeth Texter, 19, pleaded guilty to first-degree homicide by vehicle, three counts of reckless driving, two counts of serious injury by vehicle, speeding, improper passing and possession of marijuana in connection with the November 2017 wreck.
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Texter was driving home from class at Kennesaw State University about 12:30 p.m. when she struck a car driven by Mary Francis “Fran” Griffin in front of a horse farm on East Cherokee Drive, authorities said.
Prosecutors said Texter was driving 78 mph in a 45-mph zone and illegally passing vehicles on the two-lane road when she hit Griffin’s car head-on.
Griffin, who suffered internal and external injuries, died nine days later.
Texter was sentenced by Judge David Cannon to 15 years, with 90 to 120 days to be served in custody at a probation detention center, the Cherokee County District Attorney’s Office said. She must also pay a $1,000 fine and perform 2,000 hours of community service.
Prosecutors pushed for a stiffer punishment, with assistant DA David Holmes recommending a 10-year prison sentence. He argued the loss of life, coupled with the manner in which Texter was driving, warranted a more severe sentence.
“This situation was a tragedy; the defendant took an innocent life because of a selfish, needless decision to drive recklessly,” he said. “We hope to deter this sort of driving in Cherokee County. We want all of our citizens to make it home each and every night safely to their families.”
At Texter’s plea hearing, Griffin’s friends and family gave victim impact statements about the woman’s strong faith and “nurturing nature.”
Known affectionately as "Granny Fran," those who spoke said the Florida native's death left a hole in their lives. The Woodstock grandmother of four had retired after a career as a paralegal and was enjoying spending more time with her husband, children and grandchildren when she was killed, her friends said.
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