Driver Guilty in Crash That Killed His Wife on Her Birthday

CHEVERLY, MD — A man who was driving drunk has been convicted of manslaughter in a crash that killed his wife on her 34th birthday, along with her sister.

According to a release from the U.S. Department of Justice, a federal jury on Thursday convicted Charles Jerome Wiggins, 25, of Cottage City, of two counts of involuntary manslaughter and reckless driving.

According to evidence presented at the trial, on Dec. 12, 2013, at 2 a.m., Wiggins was driving a car on the Baltimore-Washington Parkway. His wife, Kiana Wiggins, was in the front passenger seat, and his sister-in-law, Angel Barbour, 21, was sitting in the back behind her. His sister-in-law’s boyfriend was also sitting in the back seat.

Prosecutors say Wiggins rear-ended a pickup truck that was driving in the same direction. The truck went into the woods, and Wiggins’ car flipped over and skidded on its roof more than 200 feet. The two women were killed. Wiggins was found to have a blood alcohol level of .19.

Wiggins faces a maximum sentence of 16 years in prison for the two involuntary manslaughter counts, and six months in prison for reckless driving.

His sentencing is scheduled for June 21.