SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (AP) - A Springfield man who caused a deadly crash during a police pursuit was sentenced Tuesday to 30 years in prison for second-degree murder.
Tommy Morris, Jr., 56, was sentenced in the April 2018 death of Dana Sowards, 31, a mother of two, KYTV reported.
Prosecutors said Morris was fleeing from police when he ran a red light at a Springfield intersection and caused a four-car pileup that included Sowards’ car. She died at the scene.
The pursuit began when officers tried to stop Morris after a suspected drug deal. He was also sentenced Tuesday to two, 10-year prison terms for delivery of a controlled substance. The sentences will be served concurrently.
Morris’ attorney argued he didn’t intend to kill Sowards and he should have been charged with involuntary manslaughter, not murder.
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