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Woman gets 34 years in hit-run
By Marty Roney
Montgomery Advertiser
A Prattville woman was sentenced to 34 years in prison Tuesday for
leaving the scene of a 2002 accident that left a 23-year-old man in a
vegetative state.
Circuit Judge John Bush gave Ashley Rogers 17 years for assault and 17
years for felony leaving the scene of an accident. The sentences will be
served consecutively. Rogers was set to have her bond revoked in
September but never showed up for court. She was on the run until Dec.
20, when she was captured in Virginia.
On Sept. 26, 2002, Rogers struck Jamie Walker, who was riding a
motorcycle. Rogers then left the scene. Walker received severe brain
damage and had a leg amputated. He requires round-the-clock care now.
It was an emotional day in the courtroom, with Jaime Walker’s mother,
sister and nephew telling the judge how the accident has affected the
family’s lives. Jaime Walker was in the courtroom, in a wheelchair. Bush
became overcome by emotion several times before rendering the sentence.
“Ashley, this thing could’ve and should’ve been a whole lot different,”
Bush said, visibly angry. “I assume when you hit Jamie, it was just a
horrible accident. But your decisions up to and after that show that you
felt Ashley Rogers is more important than anybody else in the world.
More important than Jamie, his family. More important than your own
child, because while on bond you had him in the car with you when you
were drinking. More important than your mamma and daddy, who put their
house up for your bond. By running, you could have cost them everything
they worked their whole lives to acquire.”
Before the sentence was handed down, Rogers sat handcuffed in the jury
box, wearing orange jail garb. Jamie Walker sat about 15 feet from her
in the gallery, but she appeared not to take notice of him or his
family. She was given the first opportunity to speak during the
proceedings, and admitted to Bush she was an alcoholic.
“I understand I am going to be sentenced and I’d like to say the Walker
family how sorry I am this happened,” Rogers, 34, said. “I didn’t
intentionally do this to hurt anybody. I know I have a serious problem,
I can’t control my alcohol. I would like to prove to you and everybody
else when I get out I can turn my life around.”
Kay Walker, Jamie’s mother, read a strongly-worded statement to Bush.
“I had my son taken away from me on Sept. 6, 2002,” she said, voice
cracking with emotion. “If Ashley Rogers had stopped, I might have more
than the shell of a body I have now. If he had gotten help quickly,
maybe he would be able to stand here before you today, but he can’t.”
Perhaps the most emotional moment of the proceedings came when
5-year-old Mason DeLoach, Jaime Walker’s nephew, spoke to Bush. Bush had
to rise up from the bench to look at the blond-headed boy.
“I wish my uncle could be back,” the child said in a quiet voice.
“I do too, Mason,” Bush said
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