Drunk mom going 142 mph killed her 3 children, other driver
Share this @internewscast.com

Background: Rachel Bickerstaff in court in Douglas County, Nebraska (KETV/YouTube). Inset: Michael Sales (Cutler-O’Neill-Meyer-Woodring Funeral obituary)

This week, a Nebraska woman showed remorse during her sentencing for driving under the influence, which resulted in the deaths of four people, including three of her own children. Despite this, she is expected to spend the rest of her days in prison.

In Douglas County District Court, Judge Molly Keane sentenced Rachel Bickerstaff, 34, to a maximum term of 180 years, with an opportunity for parole after 70 years, as reported by Omaha-based KMTV.

Love true crime? Sign up for our newsletter, The Law&Crime Docket, to get the latest real-life crime stories delivered right to your inbox.

“The severity of this crash cannot be overestimated,” Keane said on Wednesday as Bickerstaff appeared before her. Bickerstaff had been charged with four counts of motor vehicle homicide for the fiery crash that occurred last fall, and she reportedly pleaded “no contest” in March, having a fifth charge of DUI causing serious bodily injury dropped as part of her plea agreement.

Bickerstaff had a prior DUI conviction, according to Douglas County Department of Corrections records. She also was given an additional charge of assault in May — when authorities said she attacked her cellmate in jail, per WOWT.

The deadly crash took place on Sept. 27, 2024, near 10th and Douglas streets, right in the heart of Omaha. According to investigators, Bickerstaff reportedly reached a top speed of 142 mph — more than five times the speed limit — and ran a red light going over 100 mph when she hit and killed Michael Sales, 70, who was on his way home from work.

Bickerstaff also killed her three children, ages 5 years, 18 months, and 11 days old. It is unclear who the injured party was alluded to in the charge of DUI causing serious bodily injury.

Bickerstaff’s blood alcohol level was .216, authorities said, nearly three times the legal limit, KETV reported.

A prosecutor at Wednesday’s hearing described how the scene of the crash has had “lasting trauma” on the first responders who witnessed its aftermath.

“It’s a barometer to tell this court just how bad this is when officers and firefighters who have seen so much in the line of duty are affected by the lasting trauma of what they witnessed that night,” the prosecutor said.

Sales’ daughter, Laura Sales, said she “dropped to the floor of my living room screaming” when she received the call that her father was dead, WOWT reported. “It felt like my soul had left my body. That moment shattered everything.”

“We never got to say goodbye,” she added in the courtroom on Wednesday amid sobs. “The crash was so violent, we weren’t even given the chance to see his body. Instead, we were given his ashes. How do you make peace with that? How do you live with the images of the burning wreckage and the constant haunting thoughts of what his final moments might have been like?”

She asked the court to deliver a sentence that would make sure another family would not be burdened with such tragedy. “I’m here today because my dad can’t be. I speak because his voice was stolen, and I ask this court — I beg this court — to deliver a sentence that reflects the weight of what was taken from us.”

Bickerstaff said she regretted “the pain and hurt I caused.”

“I wish I could take it back. … I would trade my life for all the life lost.”

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like

Suspect in Hit-and-Run Claims He Didn’t Stop Due to Fatigue: Police Report

Background: The intersection of Sunland Park Drive and Appaloosa Drive in Sunland…

Botched Botox Procedure Causes Facial Paralysis in Patient: Police Report

Left: Rosa Mena. Right, top and bottom: An illegal “Med Spa” Mena…

Tragic Discovery: Toddler Found Emaciated and Wrapped in Plastic After False Kidnapping Report

The boyfriend of a Maryland woman charged with killing her 3-year-old daughter…

Trump Assassination Suspect Declares: ‘I Will Act as My Own Lawyer’

Left: Ryan Wesley Routh (Law&Crime). Center: U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon (U.S.…

Intoxicated Oklahoma Woman Falls Asleep and Accidentally Suffocates Newborn Twin After Consuming White Claw Seltzers: Authorities

An Oklahoma woman is facing charges after police say she fell asleep…

“Who could be responsible for this?’: Firebombing attack targets new childcare center”

A newly opened childcare centre has become the target of a firebombing…

Authorities Report: Man Fatally Suffocates Mother by Applying Pressure on Her Neck

A South Dakota man murdered his own mother and then decapitated her,…

Original ‘Gone Girl’ Sherri Papini’s Strange Reversal: Insists on Kidnapping Story After Serving Time for Fake Abduction

Sherri Papini was jailed for admitting that her supposed 2016 kidnapping was…

Travis Decker: Authorities Locate Hiker Resembling Fugitive, Closing Idaho Manhunt for Child Killer

The U.S. Marshals task force has called off its pursuit of Travis…

Police Report: Man Allegedly Robs Friend Over PlayStation Purchase

Background: Bodycam footage of Nicholas Flores being arrested (Lee County Sheriff”s Office).…

“Individual Who Threatened Judge and Attorney General in Trump Case Enters Plea”

Left: New York Attorney General Letitia James addresses the press, Nov. 6,…

Khalil accuses Trump administration of engaging in ‘character assassination’

Inset: Mahmoud Khalil addressing the press (WCBS) Background: President Donald Trump listens…