Man sentenced

Man that drove through Angels of Care parking lot sentenced to 20 years for Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon

Darwood Kellett, 55, of Irving, Texas, was sentenced to 20 years in prison for Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon and 10 years in prison for Possession of Methamphetamine 1-4 grams. The defendant was found guilty following a four-day jury trial in the 59th District Court. The same jury that found the defendant guilty also determined his sentence following the punishment phase of the trial. Judge Larry Phillips presided over the trial and pronounced sentence after the verdict. The defendant will not be eligible for parole until he serves at least half of the Aggravated Assault sentence.

On January 20, 2021, Sherman Police responded to a 911 call about an 18wheeler which had left the roadway and crashed through the Angels of Care parking lot. An eyewitness reported the 18-wheeler was driving north on U.S. 75 when it began to leave the highway. The tractor trailer then traveled through the grassy median, across the access road, and into the parking lot of Angels of Care. The rig struck several vehicles in the parking lot before coming to a stop in a wooded area. Angels of Care worker Karen Mercado, of Gunter, was standing near her vehicle, suffered severe trauma and later died at a local hospital.

The Sherman Police Department’s Critical Accident Investigation Team (CAIT) responded to the scene, along with the Texas Department of Public Safety. The investigation determined that the defendant did not apply the brakes or even steer the rig away from the parking lot. Evidence presented at trial showed the tractor trailer had no operational defects. Sherman Police later search the sleeper compartment of the rig and discovered a baggie containing 1.68 grams of methamphetamine. A D.P.S. Crime Lab analysis of the defendant’s blood showed he had a significant amount of methamphetamine in his system at the time of the accident.

Assistant District Attorney Don Hoover stated, “The defendant denied responsibility for using methamphetamine and operating his 18-wheeler impaired, which took the life of an innocent woman. Instead, he blamed his traveling almost a quarter of a mile without braking, first, on a hung shoelace and later claimed he was choking on coffee. It is clear that the jurors did not believe him.” District Attorney Brett Smith added, “We commend the thorough investigation by both the Sherman Police and D.P.S. Operating a 35 ton truck on the interstate highway under the influence of methamphetamine is a recipe for disaster.” Kellett was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Don Hover. ADA Nathan Young, DA Legal Assistant Rose Erwin and Investigator Dennis Michael assisted in the prosecution.

Rain or shine, the Howe High School cheerleaders on the scene to cheer on the Howe Bulldogs. Photo by Michelle Carney.

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the second half in pain as gritty and heroic as anyone could imagine. Howe, averaging 34.56 points per game (most ever for any Howe team) saw the combination of pouring rain and a limited passing game were drawn out of their rhythm and held to only 21 points. However, the Dogs scored the first points on the game right out of the chute as Haley hit Braden Ulmer on a swing pass where he broke tackles at midfield and raced 54 yards for the first score to give Howe a 7-0 lead after a Jonathan Garcia PAT with 11:00 remaining in the first. foul penalties and punched it in on a Hayden Marshall 7-yard touchdown run that ended a 9-play drive. The Tigers took their first lead at 14-7 with 6:18 left in the first quarter.

The Bulldogs drove the field on eight plays on their next possession and set up a goal-to-go situation, but penalties pushed them back to a 4th and goal from the Tiger 25 and Haley’s jump ball pass to Jones in the endzone was intercepted by Hayden Dean. Blue Ridge’s drove the field on eight plays on runs by Darland, Dean, and Clayton and Darland ran it in from the one yard line to shockingly give the Tigers a 207 lead with 10:22 left in the second quarter.

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But Blue Ridge wasted no time as running back Ryder Clayton went 57 yards on the second play. After a bobbled snap on the PAT, the score remained 7-6 Howe with 10:12 left in the first.

The Bulldogs next possession ended in a Cooper Jones punt. Blue Ridge was able to capitalize on costly personal Howe’s next possession ended when Antwone Rattler had the ball ripped from him at the Howe 35 yard line. Moments later, Blue Ridge capitalized on the turnover when Darland slipped through the middle of the defense for a 31-yard score to give the Tigers a 28-7 lead with 9:21 left in the second.

Howe was again forced to punt, and Blue Ridge took only five plays to go 84 yards before Darland scored his third touchdown of the game on a 2-yarder to give the Tigers a 36-7 lead with 3:48 left before the half.

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