Eden Man Sentenced to a Year in Jail After Passenger Dies in High Speed Crash

Wicomico County, MD - An Eden man will spend the next year behind bars after a passenger in his truck died in a crash on a Wicomico County road in 2024.

Jeffrey Garnett, Jr., 38, was sentenced on April 24, 2026, in the Circuit Court for Wicomico County. Judge S. James Sarbanes handed down the maximum sentence of three years, but suspended all but one year.

Garnett will serve that year at the Wicomico County Detention Center.

The charge was Criminally Negligent Vehicular Manslaughter. Garnett had entered a plea on January 12, 2026.

When he gets out, Garnett will be placed on three years of supervised probation with special conditions attached.

The crash happened on the night of September 2, 2024. Around 10:00 p.m., the Wicomico County Sheriff's Office responded to a single vehicle crash on Cottman Road in Allen.

Investigators found that Garnett had been driving a Ford Lightning pickup truck when it left the road and hit a large tree. One of the passengers in the truck did not survive. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The investigation revealed Garnett was going more than twice the posted speed limit when the crash happened. He never hit his brakes before the truck struck the tree. Investigators also determined he had been drinking alcohol before getting behind the wheel.

Wicomico County State's Attorney Jamie Dykes spoke about the case after the sentencing.

"This case is a stark reminder that reckless choices behind the wheel carry irreversible consequences. No sentence can restore what was taken from the victim and those who loved him. Accountability matters, and the Court's sentence reinforces that our community will not excuse conduct that endangers others on our roadways," Dykes said.

Dykes praised the members of the Wicomico County Sheriff's Office for their work on the investigation, specifically naming Sgt. Riggin and Cpl. Chaffey.

She also recognized Senior Assistant State's Attorney Patrizia Coletta and Assistant State's Attorney Jeffrey Hysan, Jr. for their work in prosecuting the case.

The sentence fell within the Maryland Sentencing Guidelines range for this type of charge, which called for probation up to two years of incarceration.