Heather Capell

MAYVILLE — Jill Wakefield recalled her late husband’s love of classic rock music, especially Led Zeppelin.

She said he almost certainly was listening to one of his favorite songs the morning of July 1, 2021, while driving to work at Welch Foods Inc. in North East, Pa.

However, she noted in Chautauqua County Court on Monday morning, a series of avoidable decisions resulted in Bradley Wakefield’s death on Interstate 86. Those decisions, she said sometimes holding back tears, have deprived the family of a genuine, caring person.

“He was a great father, a great husband and an all-around great person,” Jill Wakefield said in a statement read shortly before the woman convicted in the fatal wrong-way crash of her husband was sentenced to state prison. “We have been sentenced to life without him.”

In mid-October, Heather Capell was found guilty at trial of second-degree vehicular manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide and driving while ability impaired by drugs. She was found not guilty on the most serious count, second-degree manslaughter.

County Court Judge David Foley sentenced Capell to 2 1/3 to seven years in state prison on the vehicular manslaughter charge and to 1 1/3 to four years on the criminally negligent homicide charge.

The sentences will run concurrently.

Capell, a resident of Georgia, was traveling east in the westbound lane of Interstate 86 when she struck Wakefield’s vehicle around 5 a.m. in the town of North Harmony. The 52-year-old New Albion resident was pronounced dead at the scene.

Prosecutors alleged at trial that Capell was impaired by marijuana and a substance believed to be methamphetamine when she drove more than 9 miles in the wrong direction, passing “Do Not Enter” and “One Way” signs at the entrance to the interstate in Sherman.

Capell had driven from Georgia to pick up another woman and the plan was to drive back south together. However, after an hourslong stay at a Buffalo gentleman’s club, Capell decided to drive home herself before becoming lost.

At one point during her drive back, Capell called 911 for directions. She was advised to get on the interstate and head west toward Interstate 90. Instead, the DA’s office said, Capell entered I-86 through an exit-ramp and drove east in the westbound lane.

“You had several opportunities to stop this from happening,” Jill Wakefield said in comments directed at Capell, who sat in court with members of the Chautauqua County Public Defender’s Office.

Jill Wakefield said she and her husband were in the middle of arranging a Fourth of July party and planning a motorcycle trip when he was killed. “We had a future planned and dreams to live,” she said.

Wakefield’s daughter, Sadie, also spoke prior to the sentencing. She said her father had been helping to care for his father, Jack, when he died in the crash. The loss was devastating to her grandfather, who died at the age of 77 on Dec. 19, 2021, a year to the day Capell was sentenced.

Capell was represented by Chautauqua County Public Ned Barone, who told Foley that his client was remorseful and had fully cooperated with police after the crash.

At sentencing Monday, Capell read a statement to the Wakefield family and to Bradley Wakefield himself. She apologized for her actions that morning, which she said “will haunt me for the rest of my life.”

She later added, “I am truly sorry. I promise to become a better person.”

Capell also vowed to get sober and have her addiction problem treated. “I promise you his death will not be in vain,” she said.

The two-week trial was heard in front of Foley. Before he imposed his sentence, he noted “just how senseless this whole thing is” and said comments made by Wakefield’s family and Capell were both accurate and truthful.

Nonetheless, he said, there was “ample opportunity” for the crash to have been avoided.

“It’s tragic for you,” Foley said to Capell, “and it’s tragic for your family.”

Foley said he believes the crash stemmed from Capell’s problem with drugs and alcohol as well as mental health issues.

“I hope you’re able to take care of those things,” the judge said.

Chautauqua County District Attorney Jason Schmidt, who prosecuted the case, asked for the longest sentence possible on the two qualifying charges. While he acknowledged Capell had been cooperative during the investigation and seemed remorseful, he said her actions merited time in state prison.

“It doesn’t change the end result of the decisions she did make,” Schmidt said.

Several relatives and friends of Bradley Wakefield were in court on Monday. Most sat in several rows behind Schmidt.

A handful of Capell’s relatives also were in court.