Woman gets 25 years in prison for crash that killed UGA grad student

Whitney Baker Howard

Whitney Baker Howard

A North Georgia woman was sentenced to 25 years in prison for a DUI crash that killed a University of Georgia graduate student and injured two other cyclists, court records show.

Whitney Baker Howard, 32, of Madison County, will be on probation for six years after her prison term ends, according to the sentence handed down Wednesday in Athens-Clarke County Superior Court.

Ashley Block (Credit: Channel 2 Action News)

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Howard was convicted in October of two counts of vehicular homicide, DUI drugs and other charges in a September 2016 crash that killed 25-year-old Ashley Block, authorities said. The cyclists were on a group ride at the time of the crash, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution previously reported.

Howard was under the influence of what were believed to be prescription medications, police said. Her 2-year-old daughter was in the car at the time of the crash.

She also was convicted of six counts of serious injury by vehicle, improper lane change and child endangerment.

Howard also was charged with DUI in June and August of 2016, the Athens Banner-Herald reported. Because DUI is a misdemeanor in Georgia, judges in those cases had to grant her bond.

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