The man found guilty last month to the charge of driving under the influence resulting in death has been sentenced to serve 25 years in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections.
Walter Dewayne Sanford, 52, of Carriere, was sentenced by Judge Claiborne McDonald IV on Friday to the maximum penalty, 25 years.
During the trial held on Jan. 20, 2017, a jury of his peers found him guilty of the charge, which stemmed from an accident that occurred on Nov. 20, 2014. On that date, Sanford was traveling on Interstate 59 when the vehicle he was driving struck another vehicle in the right lane, according to previous coverage. After the collision, both cars flipped repeatedly. The driver of the second vehicle was not seriously harmed. However, Sanford’s passenger, 50-year-old Teresa Spiers of Carriere, suffered severe injuries that later resulted in her death, according to previous coverage.
Blood tests conducted as a result of the subsequent investigation determined Sanford’s blood alcohol level was .231 at the time of the accident, significantly more than the state’s legal limit of .08 percent.
“….Walter Sanford was driving under the influence on Interstate 59 when he struck another vehicle, causing both vehicles to leave the roadway. Fortunately the driver of the vehicle he hit was not seriously injured. Unfortunately, Teresa Spiers, a passenger with Mr. Sanford, was killed in the wreck. The judge noted that this was at least Walter Sanford’s fifth DUI conviction,” said 15th District Attorney Hal Kitrell in a press release from his office.
In the release, Kittrell said he appreciated the Picayune Police Department for its exemplary work investigating the case. He also expressed appreciation to Assistant District Attorney Michael Horan and Assistant District Attorney Lisa Beech McGloflin for their successful prosecution of the case as they represented the state.