George Orlando Humphrey, 25, of North Lawrence Street, was sentenced in Montgomery County Court on Friday to four-to-10 years in a state correctional facility in connection with the 8 p.m. Feb. 3 hit-and-run death of 53-year-old Michelle A. Powell in the 3300 block of Cheltenham Avenue.
Humphrey pleaded guilty to charges of accidents involving death, accidents involving death while not properly licensed, homicide by vehicle, tampering with physical evidence, reckless driving and operating a vehicle without proper registration or insurance.
“You did the exact opposite of what any other reasonable person would do. No inquiry into how the lady might have been,†Judge William J. Furber Jr. addressed Humphrey, referring to Humphrey’s fleeing the scene and then trying to cover up his role in the crash during the days that followed.
The judge imposed consecutive sentences against Humphrey for some of his crimes.
Humphrey begged for forgiveness from the more than three dozen relatives and friends of Powell who packed the tiny courtroom.
“I’m so sorry for your loss and for everything that happened that day,†said Humphrey, offering an excuse for his crimes. “I panicked. I was so scared. I was a coward. It was scary. It was just an accident, nothing more. I need you all to forgive me.â€
Powell’s relatives and friends, many wearing memorial T-shirts embossed with Powell’s photograph, wept as they recalled a woman they referred to as “kind, beautiful and our angel.â€
“I wake up every morning hoping and praying this is a dream. Michelle was the rock and the strength and the glue that held our family together,†said Linda McWilliams, Powell’s sister.
Powell’s daughter told the judge her life is ruined. Continued...
With the charges, Assistant District Attorney Lauren McNulty alleged Humphrey engaged in a cover-up by using bleach and water to clean blood off the side of the car and the windshield in the hours after the hit-and-run. Humphrey also dumped the death car, a silver Ford Thunderbird, in Camden, N.J., with the keys in the ignition, authorities alleged.
McNulty, who argued for a lengthy state sentence and consecutive terms for Humphrey’s crimes, said Humphrey showed “utter disrespect†for the laws of driving and his acts of covering up the crash were “astonishing and despicable.â€
“This man should not have been on the road on Feb. 3, 2011. He was not allowed to be driving,†argued McNulty. “He left Michelle in the street. He didn’t help her. He does need to be taught he is not above the law.â€
Defense lawyer George Griffith Jr. argued against the consecutive sentences, claiming Humphrey had a dysfunctional childhood, that he didn’t intend to kill Powell and that he panicked at the time of the accident.
“All George knew was that he was in trouble and the natural instinct of self-preservation kicked in. Mr. Humphrey’s judgment is good sometimes but other times it is poor. If he had the opportunity to take back everything he did on that fateful night he would do it in a heartbeat,†Griffith argued. “Even though my client made a tremendous error in judgment he can still be saved.â€
The investigation revealed that Humphrey’s driver’s license had been suspended since April 2008 and that Humphrey’s license expired as of Nov. 14, 2010. Humphrey also allegedly operated the vehicle without proper registration or state inspection and with no insurance at the time of the hit-and-run.
Powell, also of Philadelphia, had just finished working at a nearby Walmart and had begun to cross Cheltenham Avenue when she was struck by the westbound Thunderbird operated by Humphrey. An autopsy determined Powell died from head injuries sustained during the hit-and-run.
Authorities alleged Humphrey operated the car in a careless manner by failing to observe and yield to a pedestrian who had already crossed 26 feet of roadway in a well lighted area of the highway.
Humphrey, authorities alleged, initially slowed down but did not stop to render aid and fled the scene. An eyewitness who also was driving in the westbound lanes called 911 and provided police with a license number of the Thunderbird, according to the arrest affidavit. Continued...
George Orlando Humphrey, 25, of North Lawrence Street, was sentenced in Montgomery County Court on Friday to four-to-10 years in a state correctional facility in connection with the 8 p.m. Feb. 3 hit-and-run death of 53-year-old Michelle A. Powell in the 3300 block of Cheltenham Avenue.
Humphrey pleaded guilty to charges of accidents involving death, accidents involving death while not properly licensed, homicide by vehicle, tampering with physical evidence, reckless driving and operating a vehicle without proper registration or insurance.
“You did the exact opposite of what any other reasonable person would do. No inquiry into how the lady might have been,†Judge William J. Furber Jr. addressed Humphrey, referring to Humphrey’s fleeing the scene and then trying to cover up his role in the crash during the days that followed.
The judge imposed consecutive sentences against Humphrey for some of his crimes.
Humphrey begged for forgiveness from the more than three dozen relatives and friends of Powell who packed the tiny courtroom.
“I’m so sorry for your loss and for everything that happened that day,†said Humphrey, offering an excuse for his crimes. “I panicked. I was so scared. I was a coward. It was scary. It was just an accident, nothing more. I need you all to forgive me.â€
Powell’s relatives and friends, many wearing memorial T-shirts embossed with Powell’s photograph, wept as they recalled a woman they referred to as “kind, beautiful and our angel.â€
“I wake up every morning hoping and praying this is a dream. Michelle was the rock and the strength and the glue that held our family together,†said Linda McWilliams, Powell’s sister.
Powell’s daughter told the judge her life is ruined.
“I lost my life the moment her heart stopped. I lost it all, everything. Imagine, somebody just ripping you from your mom,†Powell’s daughter, Angel, said in court.
With the charges, Assistant District Attorney Lauren McNulty alleged Humphrey engaged in a cover-up by using bleach and water to clean blood off the side of the car and the windshield in the hours after the hit-and-run. Humphrey also dumped the death car, a silver Ford Thunderbird, in Camden, N.J., with the keys in the ignition, authorities alleged.
McNulty, who argued for a lengthy state sentence and consecutive terms for Humphrey’s crimes, said Humphrey showed “utter disrespect†for the laws of driving and his acts of covering up the crash were “astonishing and despicable.â€
“This man should not have been on the road on Feb. 3, 2011. He was not allowed to be driving,†argued McNulty. “He left Michelle in the street. He didn’t help her. He does need to be taught he is not above the law.â€
Defense lawyer George Griffith Jr. argued against the consecutive sentences, claiming Humphrey had a dysfunctional childhood, that he didn’t intend to kill Powell and that he panicked at the time of the accident.
“All George knew was that he was in trouble and the natural instinct of self-preservation kicked in. Mr. Humphrey’s judgment is good sometimes but other times it is poor. If he had the opportunity to take back everything he did on that fateful night he would do it in a heartbeat,†Griffith argued. “Even though my client made a tremendous error in judgment he can still be saved.â€
The investigation revealed that Humphrey’s driver’s license had been suspended since April 2008 and that Humphrey’s license expired as of Nov. 14, 2010. Humphrey also allegedly operated the vehicle without proper registration or state inspection and with no insurance at the time of the hit-and-run.
Powell, also of Philadelphia, had just finished working at a nearby Walmart and had begun to cross Cheltenham Avenue when she was struck by the westbound Thunderbird operated by Humphrey. An autopsy determined Powell died from head injuries sustained during the hit-and-run.
Authorities alleged Humphrey operated the car in a careless manner by failing to observe and yield to a pedestrian who had already crossed 26 feet of roadway in a well lighted area of the highway.
Humphrey, authorities alleged, initially slowed down but did not stop to render aid and fled the scene. An eyewitness who also was driving in the westbound lanes called 911 and provided police with a license number of the Thunderbird, according to the arrest affidavit.
At the scene of the crash authorities found material from the Thunderbird’s passenger side mirror which was broken during the hit-and-run, court documents indicate.
From information supplied by the eyewitness, investigators were able to track the car to a Philadelphia dealership where the Thunderbird had been purchased in November 2010. When detectives interviewed Humphrey on Feb. 5, he allegedly claimed that while he did once own such a Thunderbird he had sold the car about two weeks prior to a male “by the name of Jay†for about $300, according to the arrest affidavit. Humphrey also claimed he was at his girlfriend’s home at the time of the hit-and-run.
“He also told investigators he has not seen the car since it was sold,†county Detective Robert Turner and Cheltenham Officer Joseph Morrissey wrote in the criminal complaint.
However, Humphrey’s girlfriend eventually told detectives that Humphrey was driving the car that struck Powell and that he had asked her to help him clean the car.
When detectives located the vehicle in Camden they determined it had damage to the windshield and passenger side front mirror that was consistent with the hit-and-run incident.
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