Lancaster dad sentenced for driving drunk with his kids; one died

A Lancaster father who drove drunk with his kids in the car before a crash that left one son dead and another child injured was sentenced to 10 years in prison Monday, prosecutors said.

Lonnie Patterson, 36, of Lancaster, pleaded guilty in court in Winnsboro Monday to felony DUI resulting in death, DUI resulting in great bodily injury and child endangerment, said Randy Newman, 6th Circuit Solicitor.

Jamarei Patterson, 5, died in the crash. Another of Patterson’s children, who was 10 years old at the time, was injured.

Patterson faced a maximum of 52 years in prison. Judge Dan Hall sentenced Patterson to 10 years on each charge, with sentences to run concurrently, Newman said.

The wreck happened on Flat Rock Road, about three miles north of the town of Kershaw, troopers said at the time of the August 2015 crash.

Police said at the time of the incident that Patterson went off the left side of the roadway and struck a utility pole and a tree before overturning.

This story was originally published October 16, 2017 at 4:10 PM with the headline "Lancaster dad sentenced for driving drunk with his kids; one died."