Drunk Driver Sent to Prison in Crash That Killed His Wife on Her Birthday

Cheverly, MD — A drunk driver has been sentenced to four years in prison for manslaughter in a crash that killed his wife, on her 34th birthday, and her sister.

A federal judge on Tuesday sentenced Charles Jerome Wiggins, 26, of Cottage City, on two counts of involuntary manslaughter and reckless driving, according to a release from the U.S. Department of Justice. His prison term will be followed by three years of supervised release.

According to evidence presented at the trial, Wiggins was driving a car on the Baltimore-Washington Parkway about 2 a.m. on Dec. 12, 2013. 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.

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Prosecutors say Wiggins rear-ended a pickup truck ahead of his vehicle on the Parkway. 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 in the crash. Wiggins was found to have a blood alcohol level of 0.19.

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

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