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Published: July 14, 2008
Updated: September 18, 2008
CHATHAM – The trial scheduled today for a Danville woman accused of manslaughter has been continued because her attorney is ill.
Monica Leigh Major, of 1030 Ferry Road, was supposed to stand trial today, but her attorney, Joe Garrett, had a medical emergency, said Bryan Haskins, deputy commonwealth attorney.
Haskins said he has to get an update on Garrett’s condition and gather out-of-state witnesses before the trial can be re-scheduled.
Major is charged with aggravated involuntary DUI manslaughter. Her 5-year-old daughter, Jasmine Major, was killed in a single-vehicle accident on June 23, 2007 when they were headed toward Danville. Jasmine Major was pronounced dead at the scene, Haskins said.
Major is out on bond.
Original story:
From staff reports
DANVILLE — Five-year-old Jasmine Saige Major of Danville is dead and Monica Leigh Major is in stable condition following a single-vehicle crash at 10:28 p.m. Saturday in Ringgold.
According to the Virginia State Police, the child was a passenger in a Ford Explorer being driven by Monica Leigh Major at the time of the accident. Jasmine was not wearing a seat belt.
Emergency personnel held up sheets to block the scene as victims were extricated from the wreck. A Life Flight helicopter was summoned and landed across from Auto Outlet USA near the scene. Monica Leigh Major was transported by helicopter to Duke University Medical Center, where Duke officials say she remains in stable condition.
According to a report filed by Virginia State Trooper J.L. Altice, the wreck occurred on U.S. 58 in the westbound lane east of Route 985 across from Auto Outlet USA in Pittsylvania County.
The vehicle ran off the right side of the road, struck a guard-rail, went airborne for 200 to 300 feet before striking an embankment and overturning. Officials haven’t released the reason for the vehicle running off the side of the road.
According to Jasmine’s obituary on page A4, she was a rising first-grader at Brosville Elementary School and a member of Providence Baptist Church, Providence, N.C.
Reader Reactions
Monica has asked forgiveness from God, not everyone else. Everyone’s approval is not needed. She will get her fair day in court. Jasmine’s step-family did take her in and show her love, but if you loved that child, than you would not attack her mother. Monica reached out to the father and his family, expressing her remorse and how awful she did feel. Writing blogs on Myspace about how Monica killed her child is unnecessary and mean, that is the reason for my earlier message. How else did you expect her to walk, without a walker? She has not been doing anything in the past year but missing her daughter and wishing she could have taken her place. I know this from talking with her. Everyone will see that she is innocent, in court.
I cannot imagine anything worse than losing a child. If something happened to my daughter, whether it was my fault or not, I would not be able to go on. I don’t know Monica, but I knew Jasmine and her father and her stepmother (who, by the way, loved that child as her own). To imply that Monica and her family are the only ones who loved Jasmine is ignorant and naive. Jasmine touched many lives, and, in this day and age of mixed families, she was very fortunate to have a stepmother and stepgrandparents who loved her as their own.
I do not doubt that Monica loved her daughter. I question, however, her feeling of remorse or responsibility. She has made a lot of excuses, but I have not heard her (or those defending her in this forum) for once express any remorse or ownership of the fact that it was her actions, and hers alone, that resulted in this terrible tragedy. My husband and I put money in those jars days after the accident, and when I found out that the driver had been charged with DUI, i wanted to go smash every one of those jars. Then, later, when I found out that the mother was using her walker in Danville but not in Lynchburg or Greensboro, I was nauseated. I felt taken advantage of myself, I can’t imagine how Jasmine’s dad felt!
Nothing will bring Jasmine back, but i think this trial will give everyone the start toward closure they need. This community reached out to Monica when they first heard the news, and I certainly hope the community didn’t misplace its support. My faith reminds me that everyone is entitled to forgiveness, but first we must be truly sorry and then we must ask for it!
The United States Constitution deems that every person is innocent until proven guilty.
THIS YOUNG WOMAN DESERVES A FAIR TRIAL LIKE ANYONE ELSE!
It is the court’s place to judge, not ours. Let her have her day in court and the legal system will decide.
I PERSONALLY THINK PEOPLE NEED TO KNOW THE TRUTH BEFORE JUDGING MONICA. THERE IS ONE PERSON THAT JUST WON’T STOP BEING A HATEFUL PERSON, SHE WAS NOT JASMINE’S MOTHER, AND IF THE FATHER IS GOING TO HEAL WITH TIME, THAT HATEFUL PERSON NEEDS TO KEEP HER BIG MOUTH SHUT!!!!!!
I see Monica suffer the loss of her child everyday. I have a pool and yes she comes to swim and have her own private time, away from all the gossiping people in danville. First, Monica was a wonderful mother that loved her child dearly and never would put her in harm’s way. Secondly, she has not been drinking, driving, or done anything that did not associate with her finding peace with God. Monica has suffered the loss of her child and all people can do is place blame and hatred towards her, for god sake’s leave her alone! In court, the truth will finally come out, showing that she was not drunk, she had her buckled in her seat and that she did nothing wrong. My god a deer ran out in front of her, has that not happened to everyone in Danville? What if something like this happened to you, how would you feel if everyone attacked you?
I’d just like to say that anyone who thinks Monica does not deserve jail time is obviously unaware of the truth. This woman was NOT a “good mother”! A good mother PROTECTS her child from harm and danger, she does not cause it! Jasmine is now gone from our lives and from living hers BECAUSE she did not have a good mother! Monica was drunk and speeding and didnt even have her beautiful child in a seatbelt!(She had herself in one!) Sounds like a SELFISH mother to me!! Also, NANA, I have personally seen your daughter, Monica driving your vehicle in the last few months and at the same time, she was still milking her walker!(Except when she was in the club!) Don’t say she hasn’t driven since the wreck! But just as Monica “wasn’t drinking”, I guess like mother, like daughter, you continue to lie for sympathy! Guess those pity jars just aren’t filling up fast enough for her to keep that tan! Do I think Monica deserves jail time? ABSOLUTELY.
To all the mothers reading this, think about it this way: If the father of your child did this to your son or daughter and “grieved” by partying, would you not want him punished? He’s still the parent, but yet he took your childs life!!!
I am sorry but I am a mother too! You can’t tell me that if someone else was drinking and driving and killed your child/grandchild you wouldn’t want to punish them - why should the mother be any different??? She was wrong in ever putting her child in that situation! Also as someone pointed out “nana” left out that she didn’t think Monica should drive that evening. AND I have 2 children in carseats/boosters - there is NO WAY! that buckle can come undone. Unless maybe a drunk person buckled it and didn’t do it correct to begin with. I am sorry but Monica should be punished for her doings! Her drinking/partying recently shows me no remorse at all. I am sure she is hurt but hanging out partying it up isn’t the way to show others that don’t know her at all.
What Nana didn’t mention is that she tried to take Jasmine that night because of the drinking. And how does the impact eject a five year old from a “belted booster seat” And not the mother that was strapped in?
I personally think that alot of people will be SHOCKED once the TRUTH comes out in court. And me being a mother…I would have never ever put my child in that situation.
I am a mother and that is why I stand by my original statment. I am glad that Monica’s Nana filled us in with a few details.
My daughter was friends with Jasmine. How do you begin to explain to a child that her friend had to die b/c her mother got drunk? Having a child the same age as Jasmine the accident broke my heart. I think that it is pathetic the remorse that the mother is showing, which is none. For people to sit and say that the mother should not be sentenced is ubsurd! If you are a parent ask yourself “What would I do if I killed my own child?“ Well, this mother is still partying, drinking, hanging out at the pool all day and who knows what else. Does this sound like a grieving mother to you?
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