Thousand-Year Sentence in Oklahoma Road Rage Case

OKLAHOMA CITY (Reuters) - An Oklahoma jury sentenced a man to 1,050 years in prison for a ``road rage'' incident in which he dragged a woman trapped beneath his car for more than 700 feet, court officials said on Friday.

Keith LaJuan Jones, 44, was sentenced to 750 years for intentionally injuring Vivian Williams, who survived the ordeal.

``She is so horribly injured. It was some of the hardest evidence I've ever seen,'' said Oklahoma District Judge Twyla Mason Gray, who presided over Jones' trial and sentencing.

Jones, who was also given two 150-year sentences for ramming into two cars, was convicted of three counts of assault and battery with intent to kill.

Court officials said the chain of events that led to Jones' conviction began when he was involved in a non-injury accident during a visit to a convenience store in January 1997.

After leaving the store, court officials said, he deliberately rammed another car, then drove to a bank parking lot and intentionally struck Williams, wedging her under his car.

Officials said Jones dragged her alive and screaming, ignoring bank employees who yelled and pointed at the woman trapped beneath the car as he drove off.

Williams eventually became dislodged from the car's wheels. She has undergone 14 surgeries and is expected to have more.

                    Oklahoma City police detective Jim Hatfield, the case agent, called it "one of
                    the worst cases of road rage. This is a sad story. A truly innocent victim was
                    ran over."

                    Prosecutor Steve Deutsch told the judge at the sentencing: "This is the closest
                    thing to a homicide as I can imagine. This defendant should not be in our
                    community again."

Defense attorneys asked the sentences run concurrently.

After hearing his 750-year sentence, Jones told the judge it didn't matter if the
remaining two 150-year sentences ran at the same time.

"No one disagrees the evidence was disturbing," Gray told the defendant.
"The jury's recommendation reflects how terrifying the evidence was."

The judge overruled a motion for a new trial. Defense attorneys plan to
appeal.

Public defender Ben Brown tried to prove Jones was insane when he plowed
his car into two vehicles and Williams at 8:30 a.m.

Jones' mental competency was evaluated three times in 41/2 years. He was
sent twice to Eastern State Hospital in Vinita, Brown said.

The defendant has recently refused to take his medication.

When the judge asked him to explain, Jones said, "I would rather not take
them at this time."

Jones was convicted of first backing into a car belonging to Larry Mahler at
NE 13 and Broadway.

The defendant then threatened to kill Tammy Jones if she didn't move her car.

                    Williams was the third victim at what was then the American State Bank at
                    NE 13 and Lottie Avenue. Williams was walking to get cigarettes when she
                    was hit by Jones' car, wedging her under the left rear wheel. She was dragged
                    715 feet.

                    The jury deliberated for more than two hours to find Jones guilty of the three
                    assault and battery charges. They met for another two hours on their sentence
                    recommendations for Jones, who had two prior felony convictions.

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