Driver in Crash That Killed 3 Punished With Essay--and People Aren't Happy

The teen driver who was behind the wheel during a car accident last August that killed three Bucks County boys must write a 2,000 word essay on the impact of the crash.

Additionally, Julia Ware, who was sentenced Tuesday to indefinite probation, must also perform 300 hours of community service and write letters of apology to the victim’s families. She owes more than $44,000 in restitution, according to the Bucks County Courier Times.

Is it enough?

Many in the Council Rock community who were devastated by the Labor Day weekend crash say no.

“Absurd, they’ll lock up Johnny Depp for traveling with his dogs without the right paperwork, but kill 3 of our community’s children and have to write an essay?,” Beverly Lichota Haring said via Facebook.

“Probation for killing three young men? Justice has not been served!,” Mary Moskowitz said via Facebook.

Ware, who was unlicensed, was driving her father’s Chevrolet Suburban on Aug. 30 in Paupack Township when it flipped over in a single-car crash, killing Cullen Keffer, Shamus Digney and Ryan Lesher. The three were all incoming sophomores at Council Rock South.

The teen was at her father’s vacation home in Wallenpaupak Lake Estates; the three boys were also staying at a home in that community over the Labor Day weekend.

In April, the Pleasantville, N.Y. teen pleaded guilty in Juvenile Court to seven charges, including three counts of felony homicide by vehicle and two misdemeanor counts of accidents involving death or injury as an unlicensed driver.

She received her sentencing Tuesday, in what was reported by the Bucks County Courier Times as an emotional hearing in Wayne County.

Many in the Council Rock community, including the father of one of the victims, said they didn’t believe the sentence was fair. “She got off too easy,” Ryan’s father, Ed Lesher, said to the Bucks County Courier Times.

Many agreed with Lesher.

“She got a little slap on her pampered wrist. I hope her parents never lose a child the way they allowed their daughter to kill three people and then paid to help her get away with it. Sickening,” said Facebook user Donna Jean on Newtown Patch’s page.

Others said they hope her punishment helps prevent another similar tragedy from happening.

“I hope her community service involves speaking to other teens about the dangers of reckless driving. Knowing you caused the death of 3 friends, and destroyed their families is a tremendous punishment. But she should be required to try to influence others not to make the same mistake,” said Joanne Luongo Ritchie via Facebook.

Julia’s father, Michael Ware, 53, of Scarsdale, N.Y., has also been charged in connection with the accident.

Authorities allege he allowed his unlicensed daughter to drive around the Pocono Mountain community numerous times that weekend. He faces two counts of endangering the welfare of children, three counts of involuntary manslaughter, six counts of recklessly endangering another person, one count of false reports and one count of permitting an unauthorized person to drive.

Pennsylvania State Police said that Ware initially lied about giving his daughter permission to drive the car, but authorities learned Ware allowed his daughter to drive his car before the accident.

Ware has not spoken to her father since the accident, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.

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