JBLM soldier sentenced to 34 months for deaths of 2 in 'street racing' incident
JBLM soldier sentenced for 2 women's deaths at street racing event
Two women were killed at a car meet in Auburn by Ronalde Hendricks, who was doing donuts in a car.
AUBURN, Wash. - It was an emotional day as friends, family and loved ones filled the court in honor of two women killed in a street racing incident in Nov. 2020.
Judge Joe Campagna sentenced Rondale Hendricks to 34 months for each count of vehicular homicide.
Hendricks was the driver doing donuts at a car meet in Auburn the night of Nov. 27, 2020.
Makenna Heustis, 19, and Kelly Acosta, 23, shared a passion for cars. They attended the meet and were watching when Hendricks hit them along with another woman, identified as Haleigh Starnes.
Hendricks was charged for vehicular homicide and making false statements a month later, in December. On Friday, the women's families made powerful impact statements asking Judge Campagna for the maximum sentence.
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"Your Honor, as we stand before you today, our spirit shattered and our heart heavy with grief," said Angela Heustis, Makenna's mother.
It's a pain no parent should ever endure—the loss of a child. Starnes's family said she died as a result of the tragedy, trying to cope with being the sole survivor while her friends died.
"None of us parents will get to see our children reach their milestones in life, we will never get to celebrate birthdays, watch them fall in love, see them get married, have children, watch them grow up have a career, they will never attend another family gathering," a loved one said.
Precious memories and unfulfilled dreams the parents say they were robbed of.
"There’s that silence late at night when she usually came home, then I remember she's never coming home again," said Clarence Acosta, Kelly's father.
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Nov. 27 is a day their parents will never forget. Hendricks, who was 19 at the time, said it's a day he remembers, too—taking responsibility for his mistakes, choices and actions that led to this.