Man sentenced to prison after meth-fueled car crash that killed a woman in Penns Valley
A Clinton County man who was charged in a crash that killed a 25-year-old woman in August 2021 was sentenced Monday to three to six years in state prison and ordered to pay a fine and restitution.
Travis Logan Bennett, 30, pleaded guilty to homicide by vehicle and DUI charges earlier this year.
Hali M. Harpster was killed in a fatal one-car crash in Penns Valley when Bennett veered off the road and hit several trees, causing the car to become airborne. Bennett sustained minor injuries, but Harpster died. She left behind a daughter, according to her obituary.
Bennett tested positive for methamphetamine following the crash, and police reported that a device used for smoking methamphetamine was discovered near the crash.
Judge Katherine V. Oliver described the case as a “certainly complicated situation” after handing down the sentence. Bennett was also ordered to pay a $1,000 fine and $4,163 in restitution for the crash.
Harpster’s parents did not make a statement during the proceedings, but her mother held tightly to her phone, which had a photograph of Harpster visible in the clear phone case.
This story was originally published July 3, 2023 at 11:32 AM.
CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story included an incorrect spelling of Hali M. Harpster.
.jpg)