Samantha Ownby
A Mississippi man was sentenced Monday to an eight-year prison term for vehicular homicide in the traffic death of a Soddy Daisy woman.
Judge Don Poole set the sentence for Lucas Bill Rippy, of Bogue Chitto, Miss., after an emotional hearing.
Rippy has no prior criminal record and will be eligible for parole consideration after serving 30 percent of the term. He went directly into custody.
Rippy said he did not remember the May 2013 wreck. Police said he was traveling east on Thrasher Pike when his Ford Mustang left the road, hit a pole and flipped. Samantha Ownby was ejected and died after being taken to Erlanger Hospital
Rippy was 41 at the time and Ms. Ownby was 45. Neither one was wearing a seat belt.
Rippy said they had been dating for eight months. He said they had been drinking all night prior to the accident.
He admitted he had been guilty of drinking and driving for years, but never had a prior wreck.
Judge Poole said he had been "an accident waiting to happen."
Rippy's wife said they were separated at the time, but are reconciling.
Also testifying was Taylor Ownby, the victim's daughter, who said she lost "my mother and my best friend." She said her mother got to know her first child, but not the one born after her death.
Also testifying was the victim 's step-mother and best friend, who said she had been like a sister to her. Other family members sent in written statements.
Joel Davenport of House Arrest Systems of Tennessee said Rippy had been on the program while on release for 642 days without incident.
Ms. Ownby was a member of the American Pool Association (APA) having gone to Las Vegas for nationals on several occasions. She began playing for “Charlie’s Angels” and also played for several other teams in the area. She worked for many years as a waitress at Charlie’s Restaurant & Lounge in Soddy Daisy.
DUI prosecutor Kate Lavery said, "Both families are hurting. There are no winners in a vehicular homicide case."
Lucas Bill Rippy