South Carolina woman gets 15 years in prison for felony DUI

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GAFFNEY (AP) Prosecutors say a South Carolina woman charged with DUI in a crash that killed one person and seriously injured another has been sentenced to 15 years in prison and five years of probation.

Seventh Circuit Solicitor Barry Barnette of Spartanburg said in a statement that 32-year-old Lauren C. Smith pleaded guilty March 12 to felony DUI with death and felony DUI with great bodily injury. Circuit Judge Keith Kelly issued a 25-year sentence for the Lyman woman suspended to 15 in prison and five of probation.

Barnette says 59-year-old Viola Lynn Jackson died after the January 2017 crash. A 10-year-old passenger in Jackson’s car who suffered serious injuries was treated at a hospital.

The circuit represents the state in criminal cases filed by law enforcement in Spartanburg and Cherokee counties.