Missouri woman pardoned by Trump for Jan. 6 sentenced in deadly drunken-driving crash

FRANKLIN COUNTY, Mo. (KTVI) – Emily Hernandez, a Missouri woman pardoned by President Trump over her ties to the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the Capitol, was sentenced Wednesday in connection with a drunken-driving crash.

Hernandez was sentenced to 10 years in prison in connection with a deadly crash in January 2022, according to The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, USA Today and other media reports.

Investigators had said that Hernandez, who was 22 years old at the time of the crash, was driving the wrong way on eastbound I-44 in a Volkswagen Passat when it struck the front of a Buick Enclave. The Enclave was pushed into the median and struck cable barriers.

Emily Hernandez, seen here in 2021, was sentenced Wednesday in connection with a drunken-driving crash. (File/KTVI)

One passenger in the Enclave, 32-year-old Victoria Wilson of St. Clair, Mo., died in the crash. Hernandez was later arrested for driving while intoxicated, resulting in death.

“What I did was ungodly and I will live with that shame for the rest of my life,” she said in court on Wednesday, according to the Post-Dispatch. “I am sorry for what I did and if I could take it all back, I would.”

The Post-Dispatch reported that Hernandez was given close to the maximum sentence for the charges, being sentenced to 10 years in Wilson's death and 7 years for injuries caused to another passenger, though the sentences are running concurrently.

Hernandez was one of about 1,500 people pardoned by Trump after being charged in connection with the Jan. 6 Capitol attack. She had been caught on camera holding the nameplate of then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), and had recorded a video of herself grabbing or carrying other signs she found at the Capitol.

Hernandez had been arrested on charges related to the insurrection on Jan. 19, 2021, and later accepted a plea deal. She was ultimately sentenced to 30 days in jail with one year of supervised release.

Topics

McConnell criticizes Trump Jan. 6 pardons

Former Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) criticized President Trump for pardoning roughly 1,500 people who were arrested during the Jan, 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol, including some ...
The Hill - Jan. 21
President Trump issues pardons for Jan. 6 defendants

Following his inauguration, President Trump issued blanket pardons or commutations for those who attacked the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. The executive action included those convicted of violent ...
CBS News - Jan. 21
Trump's Jan. 6 pardons include violent offenders

The scale of President Trump's Day 1 pardons for Jan. 6 defendants surprised many since they included those convicted of assaulting police officers and seditious conspiracy. CBS News congressional ...
CBS News - Jan. 21
Trump pardons about 1,500 Jan. 6 defendants

President Trump pledged on the campaign trail to absolve those who were charged for their conduct on Jan. 6, 2021.
CBS News - Jan. 21
Trump pardons Jan. 6 defendants: Will there be political backlash?

Meet the Press moderator Kristen Welker joins TODAY to talk about some of President Donald Trump’s first actions as president singing a flurry of executive orders and pardons — and the comparisons ...
NBC News - Jan. 21
Trump pardons thousands of Jan. 6 defendants

President Trump pardoned about 1,500 defendants convicted in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot on Monday night, hours after returning to the Oval Office. CBS News' Major Garrett, Fin Gómez, Lindsey ...
CBS News - Jan. 20
Trump commutes sentences of Jan. 6 extremist group leaders; Tarrio gets pardon

President Trump commuted the sentences of Oath Keepers and Proud Boys leaders convicted of sedition in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack — but Enrique Tarrio, former national chair ...
The Hill - Jan. 21
Trump signs pardons for Jan. 6 rioters

President Donald Trump signed approximately 1,500 pardons for criminal defendants charged in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot attack.
NBC News - Jan. 21
Trump promises pardons for Jan. 6 Capitol rioters

President-elect Donald Trump has promised pardons for those who stormed the Capitol four years ago to try to disrupt the certification of President Biden's election win. CBS News political ...
CBS News - Jan. 6