Investigation revealed Smith was driving 105mph prior to the crash.
Washington, D.C. police officer Austin Kirk Smith was sentenced to 18 months in jail on Friday for two counts of felony vehicular manslaughter in a 2021 crash that killed a young couple at a Lothian intersection, State’s Attorney Anne Colt Leitess announced.
“The reckless manner in which the defendant was driving showed not only a lack of judgment, but a total disregard for human life,” Leitess said. “Had the defendant been driving even close to the speed limit, this tragedy could have been avoided.
“This sentence sets the example that anyone who commits such an irresponsible act will be held accountable, regardless of their position.”
In January, Smith entered a guilty plea to two counts of negligent manslaughter in Anne Arundel County Circuit Court in Annapolis.
Smith, an officer with the Metropolitan Police Department, was off-duty and driving a Dodge Charger on his way home from work on May 27, 2021 when he struck the passenger side of an SUV that was making a left-hand turn from Route 4 onto Lower Pindell Road.
The driver, 21-year-old Nicholas Raymond Harris, of Lothian, and front-seat passenger, Leah Mae Foster, 23, of Chesapeake Beach, were killed in the crash.
Investigation revealed Smith was driving 105 miles per hour leading up to the collision. The speed limit at the intersection is 55 miles per hour.
Assistant State’s Attorney Carolynn Grammas prosecuted the case on behalf of the citizens of Anne Arundel County, with the Honorable Stacy McCormack presiding.
