New York Woman Who Skipped Seizure Medication for a Week Sentenced After Head-On Crash That Killed 60-Year-Old Grandmother
SELKIRK, NY — A New York woman has been sentenced to state prison after prosecutors said she knowingly stopped taking her seizure medication for more than a week before suffering an epileptic episode behind the wheel and causing a head-on collision that killed a 60-year-old grandmother.
The Albany County District Attorney’s Office confirmed that 25-year-old Jacklyn Parker pleaded guilty to criminally negligent homicide for the August 2024 crash that claimed the life of Colleen Selkirk, a beloved mother and grandmother from upstate New York.
Officials say the tragedy was entirely preventable — and that Parker had been explicitly warned by her doctor not to drive if she failed to take her prescribed anti-seizure medication.
Fatal Head-On Collision Caused by Seizure Behind the Wheel
The crash occurred on Aug. 19, 2024, as Parker was driving on River Road in Selkirk with a passenger in her vehicle. Prosecutors say she suffered a seizure while driving, veered across the double yellow line, and slammed head-on into Selkirk’s car.
Parker and her passenger survived with non-life-threatening injuries. Selkirk, however, was pronounced dead at the scene.
During the investigation, Parker admitted she had not taken her medication for more than a week, despite medical warnings about the dangers of operating a vehicle without it.
Authorities said the seizure struck just seconds before the crash.
Doctor’s Warning Ignored — And Followed by Another Crime
After pleading guilty on July 15, Parker was scheduled for sentencing in September. But prosecutors told the court that Parker was arrested again that same month, this time for DWI — evidence, they argued, that she still “did not take her responsibilities seriously,” even after causing a deadly crash.
That additional arrest became part of the judge’s sentencing consideration.
Family of Victim Describes Heartbreaking Loss
During Monday’s sentencing hearing, Selkirk’s daughter, Katherine Giordano, delivered an emotional statement describing her family’s pain.
“How do you explain to children so little, who loved their Nana so much, that they will never see her again?” she said in court. “One child still sometimes asks me if her Nana is ‘feeling better yet.’”
Parker apologized to the family before sentencing, but prosecutors emphasized that the consequences of her choices were irreversible.
Sentence Increased After Court Review
Parker was sentenced to 16 months to four years in state prison, a term slightly higher than the originally expected sentence of one to three years. Prosecutors argued that Parker’s subsequent DWI arrest demonstrated a failure to take accountability, persuading the court to impose the harsher sentence.
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