By Fred Guarino
The Lowndes Signal

A Lowndesboro woman is serving 60 days in the Autauga County Jail in connection with a 2011 traffic crash that claimed the life of a Prattville man.

Loren Grace Hardy, 20, of Lowndesboro pleaded guilty to a charge of criminally negligent homicide based on a DUI (driving under the influence), Autauga County Assistant District Attorney Jessica Sanders said.

Sanders said Autauga County Circuit Court Judge John Bush sentenced Hardy to five years on Wednesday, June 20, but suspended the sentence and placed her in jail for 60 days with probation.

“But the judge suspended that sentence (five years) and placed her in jail for 60 days. And then at the end of her 60 days she will be on 36 months of supervised probation,” Sanders said.

She said the charge is a Class C felony for which Hardy could have faced a maximum sentence of 10 years.

“She was originally charged with manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide based on a DUI,” Sanders said. “She was also charged with homicide by vehicle, driving on the wrong side of the road.”

State Troopers arrested Hardy for criminally negligent homicide on Thursday Sept. 22, 2011 according to Sgt. Steve Jarrett of the Alabama Department of Public Safety.

According to State Troopers, a two-vehicle crash Saturday night (June 18, 2011) claimed the life of a Prattville man.

“The crash occurred at approximately 11:05 p.m. four miles north of Prattville on U.S. 31,” the report said.

According to the report Hardy, who was 19 at the time, was driving a 2007 Chrysler Sebring which collided with a 2007 Ford Fusion driven by Lance Ray Martin Jr., 25, of Prattville.