Mother of 3 children killed in car crash accepts guilty plea

Lisa M. Parker can't remember losing control of her car while trying to evade police in Three Mile Bay last year. The Weedsport woman can't recall her three children being killed upon the car's impact with a utility pole, which split the vehicle in two.

But the 30-year-old knows that this terrible tragedy took place. And her attorney says that's why she entered an Alford plea to three counts of second-degree manslaughter and 13 lesser charges Thursday in Jefferson County Court. The pleas pre-empt a trial expected to begin July 14.

Attorney Peter T. Juliano, Buffalo, said a psychologist confirmed that Ms. Parker suffers amnesia about the June 22, 2007, incident. Since Ms. Parker could not admit facts she cannot recall, prosecutors settled for her acknowledgment that enough evidence existed that a judge or jury could be convinced of her guilt.

Ms. Parker is expected to receive one to three years in state prison at her Sept. 8 sentencing, although Mr. Juliano will argue for probation.

"In my opinion, this woman is in prison every day of her life for what happened to these children," he said. "I don't think jail time is warranted."

Deborah A. Parker, Solvay, grandmother of two of the dead children, disagreed, saying she thinks the proposed sentence is far too lenient.

"I just think it's a total outrage," she said Friday. "Three innocent children are dead because of her actions."

Mrs. Parker, who said she was speaking on behalf of her entire family, said she does not view the children's deaths strictly as an accident because the crash was precipitated by Lisa Parker intentionally fleeing from police.

"She intentionally disregarded the three children in the back of that car," she said. "They had no choice but to be in the back seat of that car."

Mrs. Parker said she intends to make a victim's impact statement to the court prior to sentencing.

Ms. Parker initially faced three counts each of first-degree unlawfully fleeing a police officer, three counts of endangering the welfare of a child, two counts of speeding and one count each of third-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, unsafe start, failure to comply, crossing hazard markers and failure to stop at a stop sign.

Lisa Parker was stopped by Jefferson County Sheriff's Deputy Matthew A. Vaughn on Route 12E in Chaumont for allegedly swerving into the deputy's lane. As the deputy relayed her driver's license data to dispatchers, Ms. Parker took off, spinning her tires in the process.

At the time she fled, Ms. Parker was wanted solely on a suspended license charge.

Deputies said the Weedsport woman raced to speeds of 85 mph or more in a 35-mph zone in an attempt to evade police. She crashed her vehicle about three miles from the initial stop. The utility pole's transformer exploded, setting the rear tire on fire.

The children — Tyler J. Parker, 10, Nathaniel J. Parker, 6 and Mary E.L. Provo, 2 — died on impact. They were buckled in, police said.

Mr. Juliano said the tragedy was triggered "by some sort of mental episode" that may be due to bipolar disorder, which Ms. Parker has been diagnosed with. Tests for drugs and alcohol at the time of the incident came back negative, he said.

Ms. Parker, pregnant at the time of the accident, lost the child due to her injuries.

"She's completely devastated by what happened, and she's struggling just to survive and keep moving," the defense attorney said. "I think part of her grieving process was her decision to do what she did today."

Kristyna S. Mills, the chief assistant district attorney in charge of the case, reserved her comment until after sentencing. She did say, however, that her office had no influence over the proposed jail term.

"Sentence is completely in the province of the judge and there's absolutely nothing that we as the people can do about that," she said.

Times staff writer Brian Kelly contributed to this report.