Tonganoxie father who killed son in drunk driving crash sentenced to prison

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A judge in Leavenworth County, Kansas, sentenced a man Friday to just over 11 years in prison for a drunken driving crash that killed his son.

A jury found Shane Degraeve guilty April 4 of second-degree murder, three counts of aggravated child endangerment and driving under the influence in a pickup truck crash that killed his nine-year-old son, according to a Leaveworth press release. County Attorney's Office.

The accident occurred on September 4, 2022,

The fatal crash occurred while DeGraeve was driving his 2022 GMC Sierra 3500 pickup truck in the area of ​​Easton Road and Kansas 92 Highway.

The investigation showed Degraeve was driving more than 70 mph when his pickup truck entered a ditch, struck a sign and overturned.

A nine-year-old boy in the front passenger seat was not wearing a seat belt and was ejected from the truck.

He died shortly afterwards.

Two other children in the back seat were treated at a hospital for non-life-threatening injuries.

Degraeve, who showed signs of impairment at the scene of the accident, told police he had been thrown from the road.

But his story did not match witness statements and evidence at the scene.

He also told officers he had drunk one beer, but his blood alcohol level was back above the legal limit in Kansas, according to the news release.

“Our hearts go out to the families involved in this incident,” Leavenworth County Prosecutor Todd Thompson said in the news release Friday. “DeGraeve’s responsibilities as a father include obeying traffic laws, avoiding driving under the influence and ensuring the safety of his children.”

His van was equipped with two seat belt “silencers,” which prevented passengers from buckling up in the vehicle.

“Seat belt silencers, sometimes used in vehicles, can pose more risks than benefits, as in this case where they contributed to a child not wearing a seat belt and tragically losing their life “Thompson said.

—