The Boyers can’t wait until Nov. 20, when they say they will finally speak their piece in court to the driver who struck and killed their 7-year-old daughter, Cadence, while she was trick-or-treating Halloween night last year.
That man, Duane C. Abbott, 48, of Vancouver, pleaded guilty Wednesday afternoon in Clark County Superior Court to vehicular homicide and three counts of vehicular assault. He will be sentenced Nov. 20.
“That’s going to be a very big day for all of us to be able to finally say something to him, and for him to possibly say something to us. I would be interested to just hear what he has to say,” Cadence’s mother, Annie Boyer, said Wednesday.
Abbott was driving under the influence of marijuana when his 1967 Ford Mustang struck Cadence; her mother; 30-year-old Chelina Alsteen; and 6-year-old Ava Carrodus while they were walking on a sidewalk along Northeast 112th Avenue in east Vancouver. Cadence was dressed up as Batgirl.
As Abbott approached the bench Wednesday, he avoided eye contact with people sitting in the gallery. About 20 people attended the hearing in support of Cadence and the other victims; all held up photos of the little girl.
Abbott potentially faces a prison sentence upwards of 17 1/2 years. The prosecution is recommending a sentence between 159 to 211 months on the vehicular homicide charge, and that the three other counts run concurrently.
Senior Deputy Prosecutor Kasey Vu said Wednesday that Abbott’s change of plea was not because of a plea bargain.
After his hearing, Cadence’s parents told media that they are relieved Abbott changed his plea.
“It was long overdue, but we wanted this. We wanted him to plead guilty,” said Cadence’s father, Kevin Boyer. “We just want this part to be over with.”
As for Abbott’s potential prison sentence, Annie Boyer said no amount of time will bring back her daughter.
“You can’t put a time on what he did. You can’t give him any amount of days, or years, months, whatever, to equal what we are going through. Our little girl is gone forever, and she didn’t get to live her life,” she said. “Really nothing is going to be satisfying in any way, but it is a relief to know he will have to pay for what he’s done for at least a significant amount of time.”
According to court documents, Abbott told police he was changing lanes on northbound Northeast 112th Avenue when he lost control of his vehicle and drove onto the sidewalk, striking the victims and a utility pole at about 8:20 p.m.
Annie Boyer, Alsteen, Cadence and Ava were all rushed to local hospitals. Ava was treated and released from the hospital about a week later.
Alsteen suffered a traumatic brain injury and several broken bones, including a broken spine and leg, and was treated at Vibra Specialty Hospital of Portland for several months. Annie Boyer suffered a crushed pelvis and broken shoulder, arm and vertebra.
Cadence suffered a broken back and had no blood flow to her brain. She was on life support at Randall Children’s Hospital in Portland before she died two days after the crash.
Abbott later told police he smokes 2 to 3 grams of marijuana daily and that he smoked his last joint three hours before the crash, court records said.
