A D.C. man who crashed his car while under the influence of the hallucinogenic drug PCP, killing two passengers, has been sentenced to 42 months in federal prison.
The U.S. Justice Department said Monday that Tervell Ham, 46, pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter for the incident that took place on Dec. 29, 2019.
Ham was driving on Suitland Parkway in Maryland with two women in his car, who were sisters, before the crash, federal officials said in a news release.
Ham’s plea agreement, citing multiple witnesses, said he was “driving recklessly and erratically.” One witness said Ham was driving “on and off the grassy medium.” Another said they then saw Ham’s car went off the road, hit a tree, and then rolled over.
One of the women, who was sitting in the rear passenger seat, was flung out of the car when the crash happened. She was transported to the hospital, where she later died. The other woman was pronounced dead at the scene. The autopsy of both women concluded they both died of multiple injuries sustained during the crash, the release said.
Ham was also taken to the hospital, where he provided written consent to be tested for drugs and alcohol.
Ham’s blood samples show he tested positive for “0.03 milligrams of PCP per liter in his body at the time of the crash,” as well as marijuana, the news release said.
Ham will be under supervised release for three years after serving his jail sentence, according to the release.
