Man sentenced in 7-year-old daughter's crash-related death

DETROIT (AP) - A Detroit man whose 7-year-old daughter was struck and killed when she went for help after he crashed a stolen van has been sentenced. A Wayne County Circuit Court judge last Thursday ordered 48-year-old Wilburt Dion Thomas to serve 4½ to 15 years in prison. Thomas crashed July 15 into an abandoned vehicle along Interstate 94 in Romulus, southwest of Detroit. DeSandra Thomas was struck and killed by another vehicle as she left the van to seek help. Thomas pleaded guilty earlier this month to manslaughter, second-degree child abuse and operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated with an occupant younger than 16. Published: Mon, Jan 28, 2019