CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) – A mother is outraged at the woman who pleaded guilty to driving drunk in a crash that killed her son.

The mom pointed the finger straight at Thursday’s defendant in a Mecklenburg County courtroom.

“How do you sleep at night? You can’t even look at me!” exclaimed Keisha Reid, the mother of victim Jay’quan Reid.

Even though the defendant, Katiyah Hines, pleaded guilty, she gets to walk away free because she was sentenced to 179 days in jail, but she already spent that amount of time behind bars awaiting her day in court.

Hines pleaded guilty to driving while impaired in a crash in August 2022.

The crash killed her passenger, 24-year-old Reid, a father of two children.,

Police say Hines hit two parked cars on Pat Garrett Street in north Charlotte; Reid was partially thrown from the vehicle and killed in the crash.

Hines told investigators that the victim pulled the steering wheel to the right causing the wreck, and the crash reconstruction team did not rule that out.

Prosecutors say they could not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Hines’ impairment directly caused the crash.

The victim’s mother became extremely upset, telling the suspect in court that she could never forgive her.

“You took my child away from me; you could have made a better decision. My granddaughter was six months at the time; she will never know her father’s voice,” said Keisha Reid to Hines. “My grandson was one; he does not sleep; I have not had a peaceful sleep since August the 22nd.”

After the emotional court hearing, the victim’s family was too upset to speak on camera, but they told Queen City News 179 days for the sentence is not enough.

Additionally, the family believes the system needs to change when someone’s life is taken.