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Man sentenced in wrong-way DUI accident that killed Crisp deputy’s wife

Marci was a mother of three and her oldest child was supposed to start college months after the accident

A Laurens County man who fatally injured a Crisp County deputy’s wife in summer 2017 will spend 12 years in prison.

Donn Smith, of Rentz, was sentenced Tuesday to 15 years, with 12 to be served in the Department of Corrections, in the June 2017 death of Marci Belcher Thompson.

On June 3, 2017, Smith drove the wrong way on I-75 and sideswiped a vehicle before hitting Thompson head-on.

Thompson’s car flipped and caught on fire, trapping her inside. She was taken to the Augusta Burn Unit with more than a third of her body having third degree burns.

RELATED: Crisp County Sheriff talks about accident that killed a deputy's wife

A news release says Smith’s BAC was 2.5x over the legal limit and that he drove at least five miles in the wrong direction before the accident.

At a sentencing hearing Tuesday, Thompson’s family members asked for a stiff sentence while Smith and his family apologized for causing the family harm.

After serving his time, Smith will have to perform community service, take a risk reduction class and have an alcohol assessment. His request for First Offender treatment was also denied.

District Attorney George Hartwig said, “This sentence sends a strong message that those who put our community in danger by drinking and driving can expect tough consequences for their actions.”

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