Ryan Lisabeth, 29, was sentenced Thursday for a most horrific crime — getting high on heroin and then plowing his car into three children on a downtown sidewalk. Young Isaiah Ward, 9, died from his injuries and the two other boys were seriously hurt.
Emotions ran high in Fulton County Superior Court as the judge handed down Lisabeth's punishment.
The victim’s uncle
“He will be 59 — almost 60 — when he comes out, which means he gets to start over,” said LaFreddie Smith. “He gets a second chance at life. We don’t get that. Isaiah is gone.”
The defendant
“I want to tell the Wards that I am extremely sorry for their loss. And I wish more than anything that I could reverse time or trade places with their son. I can’t.”
The defendant’s mother
“From my heart, I know he did not mean to do this,” said Debbie Lisabeth. “And I know that if he was not using, he would have been the first one there to try to offer assistance.”
