An off-duty police officer with the Metropolitan Police Department, Austin Kirk Smith, has been sentenced to 18 months in jail for two counts of felony vehicular manslaughter in a crash that killed a young couple at a Lothian intersection in 2021. The sentence was announced by State's Attorney Anne Colt Leitess on Friday.
"The reckless manner in which the defendant was driving showed not only a lack of judgment, but a total disregard for human life," said Leitess. "Had the defendant been driving even close to the speed limit, this tragedy could have been avoided."
In January, Smith had pleaded guilty to two counts of negligent manslaughter in Anne Arundel County Circuit Court in Annapolis. He 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.
An investigation revealed that Smith was driving 105 miles per hour leading up to the collision. The speed limit at the intersection is 55 miles per hour.
"This sentence sets the example that anyone who commits such an irresponsible act will be held accountable, regardless of their position," added Leitess.
Assistant State's Attorney Carolynn Grammas prosecuted the case on behalf of the citizens of Anne Arundel County, with the Honorable Stacy McCormack presiding.
This case serves as a reminder that no one is above the law and that reckless driving can have deadly consequences.
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