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Brandi Bare gets 57 years in crash that killed Blackford County grandfather, grandson

Brandi Bare pled guilty to being under the influence in the crash that killed 74-year-old Jerry "Jake" Michael and his great-grandson, 5-year-old Jenson Reynolds.

BLACKFORD COUNTY, Ind. — A Blackford County woman will serve 57 years in prison for crashing through a home, hitting and killing a little boy and his great-grandfather.

Brandi Bare was sentenced Friday after pleading guilty to causing death when driving while intoxicated, reckless homicide and causing serious bodily injury when driving while intoxicated. She also pleaded guilty to resisting law enforcement and to being a habitual vehicular substance offender.

The fatal crash happened in June in Montpelier, about 90 miles northeast of Indianapolis. Jerry "Jake" Michael, 74, and his great-grandson, 5-year-old Jenson Reynolds, were killed in the crash. 

Court records describe the horror officers found when they arrived at the home. Officers found the boy's body crushed under Bare's vehicle. According to the probable cause affidavit, officers said they could smell alcohol on Bare and her speech was slurred, telling police she "did not mean to do this" and trying multiple times to run from the scene.

Eight people were on the porch when Bare's car hit, killing Jake and Jenson, and sending Jenson's father, Jerod Reynolds, and Jerod's 18-month-old daughter Emma to the hospital.

Credit: Rachel Krause/WTHR
Protesters outside the Blackford County Courthouse during Brandi Bare's initial hearing on June 9, 2022 for drunk driving charges in the deaths of a Montpelier boy and his great-grandfather on June 2.

"I don't remember anything, I got life-lined myself. So I come to like 5 o'clock the next morning, was scrolling Facebook and had no idea why I was even in the hospital, had no idea anything even happened," Jerod said.. "I started seeing prayers and I called my fiancée and asked her what happened, and she told me. Instantly I ripped everything off, ripped all my IVs out and everything, signed myself out and went straight to Riley."

"I hope she rots in hell, to be completely honest," Jerod said at the time.

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