Eden Man Sentenced to 12 Months for Negligent Vehicular Manslaughter

ALLEN, Md. – An Eden man has been sentenced to 12 months of active incarceration in connection with a fatal vehicle accident from Sept. 2024.

On Apr. 24, 38-year-old Jeffrey Garnett was sentenced for criminally negligent vehicular manslaughter following a plea hearing on Jan. 12. Administrative Judge S. James Sarbanes of the Circuit Court of Wicomico County sentenced Garnett to the maximum sentence of three years imprisonment, suspending all but one year to be served in the Wicomico County Detention Center. Upon release, Garnett will be placed on three years of supervised probation with special conditions.

On Sept. 2, 2024, at approximately 10:00 p.m., the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office responded to a single vehicle collision on Cottman Road in Allen. An investigation revealed that Garnett was the driver of a Ford Lightning pickup truck that struck a large tree just off the roadway. One of Garnett’s passengers was pronounced deceased on scene as a result of the injuries he sustained in the collision.

Further investigation revealed that Garnett was traveling more than twice the posted speed limit and never attempted to apply his brakes before striking the tree. Police also determined Garnett consumed alcohol prior to the collision.

“This case is a stark reminder that reckless choices behind the wheel carry irreversible consequences. No sentence can restore what was taken from the victim and those who loved him,” Wicomico County State’s Attorney Jamie L. Dykes said. “Accountability matters, and the Court’s sentence reinforces that our community will not excuse conduct that endangers others on our roadways.”