The man responsible for a high-speed crash that claimed the life of a 10-year-old Kentucky boy has been sentenced to 40 years in prison, nearly two years after the tragic incident.

Tymetrius Walter was sentenced on Wednesday, July 1, for the September 16, 2023, crash that killed “Jake” John Lewis Luxemburger during a police pursuit in Campbellsburg, according to local reports.

Authorities said Walter fled from a Kentucky State Police trooper in a stolen vehicle after an attempted traffic stop. The pursuit along Interstate 71 ended when Walter’s vehicle crashed into an SUV carrying Jake and his grandmother.

Walter pleaded guilty in June to multiple charges, including vehicular homicide while under the influence, ᴀssault, receiving stolen property valued at more than $10,000, wanton endangerment, and fleeing or evading police. A murder charge originally filed after the crash was later reduced to vehicular homicide as part of the plea agreement.

During the sentencing hearing, Jake’s family delivered emotional victim impact statements, publicly sharing their memories of the young boy for the first time.

Jake’s mother, Kathryn Luxemburger, recalled that her son had been looking forward to celebrating his upcoming 11th birthday.

“The morning he died, he was so excited because he was going shopping for his birthday.”
Jake was just nine days away from turning 11.

Kathryn also shared the last conversation she had with her son before he left with his grandmother, Teri Portnoy, who had traveled from Florida to celebrate his birthday.

“No more sweatshirts! You have so many,” Kathryn remembered telling him.
Jake replied, “Love you, Mom!”
“I love you too, buddy,” she answered.
Portnoy, who was seriously injured in the crash, also submitted a written victim impact statement that was read in court.

She recalled that Jake had been opening a new pack of football cards and laughing with her moments before the collision.

“The next thing I remember is waking up… not knowing what had happened,” she wrote.

After the vehicle came to a stop, Portnoy said she reached for her grandson’s hand.

“I could see his little fingernails turning blue. I touched his hand and said, ‘Hey Jake, talk to Mimi.’ Nothing. Again, I said, ‘Jake, talk to me.’ Nothing.”
Addressing Walter directly, Kathryn said his decision to flee police had forever changed her family’s lives.

“You made the choice to run from the police. You made the choice to put your own desire to avoid being caught above every life around you.”
She continued:

“When your sentence is complete, you will walk out of prison. You will have the opportunity to rebuild your life. Jake will never get that opportunity. His sentence is permanent, and our sentence is permanent.”
Walter apologized to the family during the hearing.

“I am truly sorry for what I took,” he said. “That day also changed my life as well. I apologize for my own actions that led to this.”
He added that he understood his apology could not undo the pain caused by the crash.

“I know my words will never replace the hurt, the trauma, the pain I inflicted.”

Source: People