An Appling County woman charged with killing one man and seriously injuring three others in a fiery crash was sentenced in Superior Court Monday morning.
The sentencing, which followed a guilty plea by Laken Michelle Deloach, came unexpectedly as Deloach was scheduled to appear in court on motions her attorney filed earlier in the summer.
Background
On March 31, 2024, Deloach was driving a 2020 Dodge Durango with five passengers when she failed to maintain her lane on a curve, left the roadway, struck a tree, overturned, and came to a stop in a ditch on Ten Mile Highway. 25-year-old De’angelo Marquis Adams was killed in the crash and three others were seriously injured. Deloach suffered injuries as well. Four were flown from the scene by Life Flight.
The case was turned over to the Georgia State Patrol and the Specialized Collision Reconstruction Team (SCRT) investigated the crash. Court documents later revealed that Deloach was traveling 95 mph in a 55mph zone at the time of the crash and had a BAC of 0.128.
A few weeks later, Deloach was arrested for Homicide by Vehicle, Serious Injury by Vehicle, DUI, Reckless Driving, Speeding, and Failure to Maintain Lane. and released on $40,000 bond. As a condition of bond, she was barred from operating a vehicle, prohibited from contacting any witnesses or victims in the case, and was ordered not to consume alcohol or any drugs not prescribed by a doctor.
In February 2025, Deloach was indicted by a grand jury on sixteen charges, twelve of which were felony offenses.
Namely, Deloach was indicted for the death of De’angelo Adams, for seriously injuring a second victim and rendering his legs useless, for seriously injuring a third victim and disfiguring her body, and for seriously injuring a fourth victim by rendering his legs useless as a result of a brain injury.
Deloach’s full list of charges included:
Homicide by Vehicle – 1st degree
Homicide by Vehicle – 1st degree
Homicide by Vehicle – 1st degree
Serious Injury by Vehicle
Serious Injury by Vehicle
Serious Injury by Vehicle
Serious Injury by Vehicle
Serious Injury by Vehicle
Serious Injury by Vehicle
Serious Injury by Vehicle
Serious Injury by Vehicle
Serious Injury by Vehicle
Speeding
Failure to Maintain Lane
Reckless Driving
Driving Under the Influence (Per Se)
Read the full indictment.
In May 2025, Deloach entered a Not Guilty plea and her attorney, John Thigpen Sr. filed a series of motions seeking to have evidence suppressed and to dismiss the indictment. He also filed a Motion for a Change of Venue, stating that Deloach would not be able to get a fair trial in Appling County due to the media publicity surrounding the case, though he cited no specific incidents which have reportedly impacted the case.
Deloach’s case garnered additional attention because she used to work in law enforcement in Bulloch County. She is also the granddaughter of former Appling County Sheriff Benny Deloach and daughter of Linton Deloach, who was a candidate for sheriff in Appling County at the time of the crash.
Plea
On Monday morning, Deloach appeared with Thigpen for a scheduled hearing on the previously filed motions. Instead, Deloach entered a guilty plea.
Deloach pleaded guilty to Homicide by Vehicle in the 1st degree on the basis of her Reckless Driving charge.
Judge Stephen Kelley declined the defense’s request to sentence Deloach under the First Offender Act, which would have allowed her to scrub her record of the charges if she successfully completed her sentence, including probation.
Consequently, Deloach received the following sentence:
- Homicide by Vehicle – 1st degree – GUILTY PLEA – 10 years to serve in prison, $2,500 fine ($4,055 after add-on fees).
- Serious Injury by Vehicle – 10 years probation consecutive to Homicide by Vehicle
- Serious Injury by Vehicle – 10 years probation consecutive to Homicide by Vehicle
- Serious Injury by Vehicle – 10 years probation consecutive to Homicide by Vehicle
- Speeding – 12 months probation concurrent to other counts
- Failure to Maintain Lane – 12 months probation concurrent to other counts
- Reckless Driving – 12 months probation concurrent to other counts
The total sentence is 10 years to serve in prison followed by 30 years on probation. The remaining counts were nolle prossed/dismissed.
Deloach must also complete 100 hours of community service, a mental health evaluation and substance abuse evaluation within 90 days of her release from prison, and a Defensive Driving Risk Reduction Program within six months of her release. She is also subject to a 4th Amendment waiver, is barred from contacting any of the victims in the case (unless the victims submit a notarized statement to probation lifting the requirement), will have a curfew, and cannot consume drugs or alcohol while on probation.
She was taken into custody Monday afternoon and was in the Appling County Jail as of the close of business.
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She’s absolutely one of the best journalists in our area!