Cameron Herrin, the then 18-year-old man who was behind the wheel of a Ford Mustang that hit and killed a mother and her baby on Bayshore Boulevard in 2018, was sentenced to 24 years in prison Thursday evening.
Herrin and another man, John Barrineau, are accused of racing at the time of the deadly crash. Barrineau also pleaded guilty. He’s serving a six-year prison sentence.
“This crime took two beautiful lives and left four families broken,” said State Attorney Andrew Warren. “No sentence can repair that damage or bring back the lives lost, but we hope this outcome delivers some comfort and closure for Jessica’s and Lillia’s families.”
On Thursday, Herrin, his family and friends spent the first half of the morning painting him as caring and forgivable with no intent to hurt anyone. They called what happened that day in May a tragic accident.
“It has been devastating for him and our family,” said Kim Salter, Herrin’s Aunt.
“The impact plays over and over in his head. It’ll never go away,” said Cheryl Herrin, Cameron’s mother.
His defense team, John Fitzgibbons, says Herrin made a mistake and didn’t fully understand the consequences that could occur while speeding.
Dr. Michael Scott Maher also testified that scientifically the brain of an 18-year-old isn’t fully developed and wired the same way the brain of a person in their 20s is.
