Philadelphia man arrested in crash that killed his girlfriend and her baby
Jabrial Terry was charged with seven felonies, and police say they found drugs in his system.
A Philadelphia man has been charged with homicide by vehicle, driving under the influence, and related crimes in connection with a two-car crash that killed his girlfriend and her baby, Montgomery County authorities said Thursday.
Jabrial Terry, 27, was taken into custody by U.S. Marshals on Tuesday, more than a month after a warrant was issued for his arrest.
Police say that Terry was speeding down Skippack Pike in Whitemarsh Township on the evening of May 4 when his vehicle swerved off the road into a drainage ditch, before overcorrecting, crossing into oncoming traffic, and hitting another car head-on.
The crash killed his girlfriend, Nya Janae Stokes, 24, who was nine months pregnant. She was rushed to the hospital, where her baby was delivered by emergency cesarean, but died five days later from injuries sustained in the collision. Neither Terry nor Stokes was wearing a seat belt, authorities said.
At the time of the crash, authorities said, Terry was under the influence of drugs. A blood test showed he had benzodiazepines, cannabinoids, fentanyl, and oxycodone in his system, according to police. The officer who responded to the crash scene said he smelled burnt marijuana in the vehicle and that Terry was slurring his speech. Police say they found marijuana when they searched the car.
Police also say that when they searched Terry they found several types of pills — including oxycodone and Xanax — when they searched him at the hospital.
Terry’s vehicle was not insured or registered, authorities said, and the vehicle identification and license plate numbers had been illegally altered. As a consequence he was charged with numerous misdemeanor and summary offenses. His lawyer, public defender James Lyons, could not immediately be reached for comment.