The Associated Press
COLUMBUS, Ohio- A woman was sentenced to seven years in prison for her suicidal wrong-way drive on an interstate in which she narrowly missed several vehicles, including a police car.
The judge said the community would not understand if he sentenced Marchelle Adams to probation, as she requested. Adams had been sent to prison three times before, twice for felony assault, Franklin County Common Pleas Judge Dale Crawford noted at the sentencing Thursday.
Adams, 50, pleaded guilty in September to attempted assault on an officer and felony fleeing.
She had called 911 the morning of May 11 and told the dispatcher: “I’m going to drive my car the wrong way on the expressway and I’m pinning this (suicide) note to my chest. OK?”
Within 15 minutes, motorists on Interstate 71 started calling police, saying a car was going north in the southbound lanes. Police said she swerved into oncoming traffic, including a police cruiser.
Adams blamed the suicide attempt on depression and difficulties with her psychiatric medicine. The note pinned to her chest apologized to relatives.