Falleen Randle tried to steel herself against the new pain that was to come.
The man accused of causing a wreck that killed her son, daughter and granddaughter, and crippled her husband in 2008, was about to go to trial. She had pored over the accident investigation files and forced herself to look at grisly photos of the wreckage. Then she and husband Demetrius flew to Atlanta from their new home near Salt Lake City, Utah, so they could be in the Gwinnett County courtroom on Monday for the start of jury selection.
But Randle was not prepared for what happened on Monday. Carmon Cody Rhoden, 22, surprised everyone by entering a guilty plea to four counts of vehicular homicide, one count of serious injury by vehicle and one count of leaving the scene of the accident. He was sentenced to 40 years in prison followed by 30 years on probation.
Randle and other relatives were called to testify about the impact that the wreck had on their lives prior to the sentencing. Most of them broke down into sobs.
"None of us were really prepared for that," Randle said. "It was just wham, bam! Drive-through service. I feel relieved that it's over, but it opened up a lot of wounds."
If Rhoden had been convicted of all counts at trial, he faced the possibility of being sentenced to 115 years in prison, according to Chief Assistant District Attorney Phil Wiley.
In March, Rhoden turned down a plea deal of 30 years in prison followed by 20 years on probation. Wiley said he tacked on an extra 10 years to his recommendation for the prison and probation time because Rhoden declined the first plea offer.
"He turned it down and we got ready for trial," Wiley said Monday. "We were ready to start picking a jury this morning. We didn’t ask for more than the 40 years because he made the decision to take responsibility."
Rhoden will be eligible for parole in about 20 years, when he is 42.
Until Monday, Rhoden had insisted he did not cause the March 31, 2008, wreck -- the deadliest motor vehicle accident to occur on I-85 in Northeast Georgia in more than 15 years.
Police said Rhoden was on his way home from a Braves baseball game where he had been seen drinking several beers. He was zooming at an estimated speed of 112 mph and weaving in and out of lanes when his red Acura clipped the SUV limousine that the Randle family was riding in on their way home from the airport. Three other vehicles also were caught up in the chain reaction wreck.
Rhoden continued to the next highway exit at Indian Trail Road, police said, parked his disabled vehicle behind a nearby hotel and called his father to pick him up.
Killed in the accident were Alex Randle, 14, Whitney Randle, 21, Whitney's infant son, Kayden, and limo driver Mark Anthony Gay, 44.
Demetrius Randle suffered a traumatic brain injury, which has severely impaired his ability to walk and talk. He still undergoes physical therapy, speech therapy and occupational therapy several times a week.
Rhoden apologized to the Randle family Monday, but it brought the survivors little comfort.
"We're going to go on missing our family every single day," Falleen Randle said. "Nothing has changed in that respect. And now, the Rhodens will go on missing their son every day."
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