In a very emotional courtroom, a Dauphin County Judge sentenced a grandmother to three-to-six years in state prison for causing a crash that killed her three grandchildren.
Back in April of 2010, Laurie Hatfield crashed her station wagon on Route 22/322 in Middle Paxton Township.
Police say she was going more than a hundred miles per hour, fleeing the scene of a minor crash. She had methadone in her system.
Her grandchildren, five-year-old Luke Stump Jr. and two-year-old twins Megyn and Troy Stump died in the crash.
Wednesday night, we have family reaction to the sentencing.
Inside Dauphin County court, the children's father said he forgave their grandmother and asked the judge not to send his mother to prison. Things got emotional when the sentence came down.
April 2010, Laurie Hatfield crashed her station wagon through a guardrail and down an embankment. She survived, but her three grandchildren, who police say weren't restrained properly, died.
Police say she'd been speeding away from another crash she'd been involved in, going more than 100 miles per hour. Later, toxicology tests revealed Hatfield had methadone in her system.
Wednesday morning, a Dauphin County Judge sentenced the Perry County grandmother to serve between three-and-six years in state prison.
That's when things got out of order.
“The family of the father of the children had been asking for probation and at the conclusion of that hearing, the family of the father of those three children and his 7 siblings, just went berserk,” explained First Assistant District Attorney Fran Chardo. “And started screaming, yelling, making threats using profanity in the courtroom.”
Afterwards, three of Hatfield's relatives were charged with disorderly conduct.
The other grandmother of the children who were killed told us at her home Wednesday night, in front of a statue made in memory of the children, that she forgives Laurie Hatfield.
Her closure came years ago, because she realized her grandkids are with Jesus.
“I wasn't asking the judge to throw the book at her or anything I just wanted her to accept Jesus Christ as her savior,” explained the maternal grandmother, Thea Goshorn. “Whether you spend a day in jail or 100 years in jail, it won't bring our grandchildren back.”
The family tells CBS 21 News that a few months before the crash happened, the children's family took out a life insurance policy.
Back in April of 2010, Laurie Hatfield crashed her station wagon on Route 22/322 in Middle Paxton Township.
Police say she was going more than a hundred miles per hour, fleeing the scene of a minor crash. She had methadone in her system.
Her grandchildren, five-year-old Luke Stump Jr. and two-year-old twins Megyn and Troy Stump died in the crash.
Wednesday night, we have family reaction to the sentencing.
Inside Dauphin County court, the children's father said he forgave their grandmother and asked the judge not to send his mother to prison. Things got emotional when the sentence came down.
April 2010, Laurie Hatfield crashed her station wagon through a guardrail and down an embankment. She survived, but her three grandchildren, who police say weren't restrained properly, died.
Police say she'd been speeding away from another crash she'd been involved in, going more than 100 miles per hour. Later, toxicology tests revealed Hatfield had methadone in her system.
Wednesday morning, a Dauphin County Judge sentenced the Perry County grandmother to serve between three-and-six years in state prison.
That's when things got out of order.
“The family of the father of the children had been asking for probation and at the conclusion of that hearing, the family of the father of those three children and his 7 siblings, just went berserk,” explained First Assistant District Attorney Fran Chardo. “And started screaming, yelling, making threats using profanity in the courtroom.”
Afterwards, three of Hatfield's relatives were charged with disorderly conduct.
The other grandmother of the children who were killed told us at her home Wednesday night, in front of a statue made in memory of the children, that she forgives Laurie Hatfield.
Her closure came years ago, because she realized her grandkids are with Jesus.
“I wasn't asking the judge to throw the book at her or anything I just wanted her to accept Jesus Christ as her savior,” explained the maternal grandmother, Thea Goshorn. “Whether you spend a day in jail or 100 years in jail, it won't bring our grandchildren back.”
The family tells CBS 21 News that a few months before the crash happened, the children's family took out a life insurance policy.