Dump truck owner sentenced to prison for a crash that killed a pregnant woman in Montco

Calling it the “worst case of homicide by vehicle that this court has ever seen,” a Montgomery County judge sentenced the owner of an uninsured and unregistered dump truck involved in a fatal crash to 3 ½-to-7 years in state prison Monday.

Patrick Doran, 24, purchased a Ford F650 XLT Super Duty using a fake name and ID, registered it to a PO box in Conshohocken, and failed to maintain it. It was all in an effort, prosecutors said, to cut corners and avoid paying the necessary fees.

The truck, driven by Everett Clayton, one of Doran’s employees at a construction site, crashed head-on into a Chevrolet Tahoe driven by Kellie Adams, who was eight months pregnant with her daughter Emersyn. Adams and her daughter were pronounced dead at the scene of the crash, which took place in August 2022 in Lower Providence Township.

Doran pleaded guilty June 14. Clayton, 57, who was experiencing homelessness and met Doran at a shelter in Virginia, is awaiting his own trial, scheduled for October, on charges including third-degree murder and homicide by vehicle.

Clayton told investigators he had been driving the truck shortly after drinking some beers at a job site, according to court filings. Prosecutors said Monday they later learned Clayton did not know how to properly drive a dump truck, despite telling Doran he did. Investigators found that the truck’s rear tires were mismatched, and its braking system needed repair.

» READ MORE: The dump truck driver who struck and killed a woman in Lower Providence Township is wanted for her death, DA says

First Assistant District Attorney Ed McCann said Monday that though Doran was not behind the wheel of the truck that killed Adams, his behavior directly led to her death.

“This isn’t some mere example of letting someone drive a truck. This is someone who exploited vulnerable people,” McCann said. “He put a homeless person behind the wheel of a truck, a lethal weapon, and tore a hole into the lives of this family and the community around them.”

Adams’ loved ones took the stand to address Doran, tearfully describing the impact her loss has had on them, the two sons she leaves behind, and the people she knew best. They said Adams, a teacher at Cottage Seven Academy in Phoenixville and fifth-generation firefighter, dedicated her life to making the community around her better.

Adams’ father, Dean Miller, locked eyes with Doran as he told him he “wielded a sword through [his] family that will leave a scar forever.”

“This is not only unfair, but incredibly cruel, all because one man does things by his own rules,” Miller said. “The foundation of our family has crumbled under the weight of this tragedy. The actions of two irresponsible individuals has shattered us, and we have to rebuild from ruins.”

Adams’ husband, Jason, said he responded to the scene as a firefighter, and has the traumatic sight of his wife’s destroyed car seared into his memory. He said, after having two boys, becoming a “girl dad” was exhilarating, if not nerve-racking.

Adams said his only interaction with Emersyn was the brief moments in which he held her body at the hospital.

“Because of you and Everett, I had to walk into my home and tell my 5-year-old son that his mother and sister were dead and not coming home,” Adams said. “I hear his scream and cry every day.”

Doran’s attorney, Basil Beck, argued that his client was significantly less culpable in Adams’ death than Clayton. Doran had no intention, Beck said, of causing a fatal crash, nor did he fail to maintain the truck intentionally to harm other drivers.

Doran took the stand himself, saying he was remorseful.

“I am deeply, deeply sorry,” he told Adams’ family. “This is a big, big tragedy, and I understand I can’t think or feel what you’re going through. My heart goes out to you all.”

But Montgomery County Court Judge Risa Vetri Ferman was not swayed, and handed down the maximum sentence allowed.

“The defendant’s actions started a chain of events that led directly and predictably to the death of a pregnant mother and her unborn child,” Ferman said. “You caused a devastating, life-altering crash from which there is no recovery.

“This family is broken because of your actions, sir.”