Army Pfc. Rondale Henricks, 21, pleaded guilty to vehicular manslaughter Friday, June 16, 2023, and was sentenced to 34 months in prison for the 2020 deaths of two women in Washington state, where he is assigned to Madigan Army Medical Center at Joint Base Lewis-McChord. (Screenshot of video from Fox 13 in Seattle )
A soldier assigned to Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., was sentenced to nearly three years in prison for hitting and killing two women with a car while participating in illegal street racing, according to court documents.
Pfc. Rondale Hendricks, 21, pleaded guilty to vehicular homicide in a King County courtroom Friday for the 2020 deaths of Makenna Heustis, 19, and Kelly Acosta, 23. He received 34 months for each woman’s death and the sentences will be served concurrently, according to court records. He also received one year of probation.
Officials at the Army base confirmed Wednesday that he is still assigned to Madigan Army Medical Center. A spokesman for the hospital did not say whether the soldier’s commander has begun the process to discharge Hendricks from the Army.
Hendricks had attended a street racing event on Nov. 27, 2020, in a parking lot between two warehouses in Auburn, Wash., according to court documents. Semitruck trailers were parked on either side of the parking lot and a group of pedestrians had gathered to watch as several drivers were doing stunts such as making donuts or spinning, pealing out their tires and “swinging,” which causes the back of a car to drift or lose traction.
At about 10:20 p.m., Hendricks attempted to swing his friend’s car and lost control, hitting three women, according to court documents. He exited the car and asked his friend to flee the scene. Later, he called the friend and recommended he remove his license plates.
While still at the scene, Hendricks told police that he had been the passenger in the car and did not know the driver. He later turned himself in at a police station, according to court documents.
Hendricks was also charged with making a false statement and pleaded guilty.
The two women were hospitalized and died from their injuries in December. Details about the third woman hit in the incident were not included in the court documents.
“In that moment of recklessness, he forever altered the course of our lives,” Makenna Heustis’ mother Angela said, according to video from the courtroom shared by Fox 13, a TV station in Seattle.
The video also showed Hendricks addressing the families of the two women directly during the hearing.
“No matter how many times I say sorry, it will never mend the hearts of the family. It will never bring their children back. I wish I could go back. I truly do,” he said.
