A Little Rock man who killed his 12-year-old daughter in a street-racing crash last summer pleaded guilty to manslaughter Wednesday in exchange for a 12-year prison sentence.
Aniyah Monique Dilworth died from injuries she suffered in the June 6 lunch-hour collision on Riverfront Drive in North Little Rock between Michael Lynn Scales, 31, and Brandon Lamar Rogers, 30. The men were longtime friends.
Scales' car was traveling at more than 100 mph when it crashed.
North Little Rock police said Scales' 2003 green Ford Crown Victoria collided with Rogers' 2008 maroon Ford Mustang. Scales' car then was ripped in half when it hit a light post on the concrete median on Riverfront near the South Olive Street intersection.
The Crown Victoria's front end, with engine compartment, hurtled into oncoming traffic while the rest of the car wrapped around the pole.
Scales was injured in the crash. Aniyah was one of seven children of Scales and Ricketta Dilworth.
Rogers' 11-year-old son suffered minor injuries as did Rogers' other passenger, Sherry Elizabeth Battles, 35, of Little Rock.
Rogers, who was on probation at the time, was charged with endangering the welfare of a child and pleaded guilty Feb. 19 in exchange for a five-year sentence negotiated by his attorney, Fernando Padilla. With nine felonies on his record, Rogers faced a 15-year maximum term.
Scales had been scheduled to stand trial Wednesday. Deputy prosecutor Tracye Mosley was assigned to his case. He was on parole at the time of the crash. He was represented by attorney Colleen Barnhill-Kordsmeier.
As a repeat offender, Scales faced a 20-year maximum sentence.
Scales received a 20-year sentence in 2010 after pleading guilty to robbery in a 2008 case. His original charge in that case had been capital murder in the robbery and killing of Larry Keith Taylor, 48.
Scales' half brother, Robert Lee "Rah Rah" Davis Jr., the killer in that case, received a life sentence after Scales testified against him.
According to police reports, witness Chris Jones of North Little Rock said he saw the cars speeding east on Riverfront when the Crown Victoria, in the outside lane, appeared to clip the Mustang, causing both cars to careen out of control, hitting trees and a street sign before the Crown Victoria struck the pole.
Another witness, Kasandra Lancaster of Jacksonville, said she had just pulled into the entrance of the Arkansas Inland Maritime Museum when the cars rushed by her. She too told police she saw the Crown Victoria swerve into the side of the Mustang, then both cars spun out of control.
Metro on 03/08/2019