WHEATLAND -- Kenneth Glass' family can only feel shattered by the selfish decision of a stranger as they look lovingly at photos of him and touch the small pieces of his motorcycle picked up by his mother's hands.
What's left of Kenneth Glass' motorcycle, collected from the side of Spenceville Road by his mother Maria CBS13 photoThe crash happened on Sept. 12, 2023, when Kenneth was riding his motorcycle to celebrate his new job and what was supposed to be a fresh start for himself and his family.
DeLong's truck, Sept. 12, 2023 Yuba County Sheriff's OfficeKenneth was hit by a pickup truck driven by Clara Ann DeLong, who was 24 at the time, along Spenceville Road.
"You know you could say it was an accident, but it really wasn't. It was through negligence and her choices that a man's life was lost," said Donald Glass, Kenneth's uncle.
"Her early release is like just pulling the band-aid off the wound," said Maria Glass-Barnes, Kenneth's mother. "And we were only notified a week before. So yes, very angry. I don't think it's right, I don't think it's just."
But today, her family is left feeling that DeLong's story now signals that the consequences of this crime are not steep enough.
"What kind of a message does that send to the public, and the youth, honestly?" Maria said.
Kenneth Glass Glass family photoHis daughters are left without a father to walk them down the aisle, walk them through life, or walk through the front door at the end of the day.
"She sits there with the door open. And you have to wonder," said Stephen through tears. "What goes through her mind when someone leaves the house? Is Papa coming back?"
"He was their best friend," Maria chimed in.
The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) confirmed to CBS13 Thursday that a parole hearing was not held for DeLong because of the nature of her sentence.
If there had been a hearing, both Wheatland Chief of Police Brian Wittmer and Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MAAD) advocate Rhonda Campbell say they would have spoken out in support of the Glass family and against an early release.
"It's just retraumatizing, and it is not right," Campbell said. "The public attitude needs to shift. DUI is a serious crime. The way our state laws address it, and the public to some extent, they don't consider it a violent crime. It's absolutely a violent crime. Ask any mother who has had their child ripped away from them."
"Drunk driving is 100% preventable, 100% of the time. This family has lifelong consequences because some irresponsible person made a poor choice. It's not OK. There need to be consequences," Campbell said. To DeLong and any other drunk driver, the Glass family shares strong words. "Three little girls lost their father. A wife lost her husband. All these people's lives will be affected forever because of your negligence. You better feel that because we do," Donald said. The family also hopes this story can serve as a reminder to never get behind the wheel of of car under the influence because the cost could be a life lost and a lot of other lives changed forever.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Wheatland family, police chief protest early release of woman convicted in fatal DUI hit-and-run )
Also on site :