A Bloomingdale man charged in the 2014 death of a 4-yer-old boy has been sentenced to 33 years in prison.

Robert Kenneth Waugh pled guilty to his charges stemming from a June 2014 accident that claimed the life of Owen Rivers. Judge John R.

Turner sentenced Waugh to 15 years in prison for one count of vehicular homicide and 15 years to serve consecutively for a charge of serious injury by vehicle. He also received three one-year consecutive sentences for reckless driving, failure to maintain lane and driving without a license.

Rivers’ mother, Adrianna Flowers, said the plea and sentencing “absolutely” is a relief.

“It’s justice and it makes me breathe a little easier,” she said. “The DA went to bat for us. I’m just happy justice came through. Thirty-three years — that’s a long time for somebody to be put away for something that could have been avoided.

“There’s no happiness,” Flowers said. “No judgment could have brought Owen back.”

Said Ogeechee Judicial Circuit assistant district Brian Deal: “He got as long as he could have been sent away. That was the point I tried to make to the judge —it should be reserved for worst-case scenarios, and this deserved that, because this is the worst possible case scenario.”

Waugh also received three one-year consecutive sentences for reckless driving, failure to maintain lane and driving without a license. Waugh’s license was suspended from another state in 2011 because of continuing DUI arrests

“By the very fact he was driving, he was breaking the law,” Deal said. “The reason for suspending licenses is Robert Waugh.”

After Waugh entered his plea, family members discussed what the accident and losing Rivers meant.

“It was good for them to confront Mr. Waugh and get to say their piece,” Deal said. “It gave them an opportunity to say what they wanted.”
Waugh read an apology to the court and the family over causing Rivers’ death.

“I don’t know if that was from the bottom of his heart,” Flowers said. “I would hope so. I would definitely hope so. At least he had the respect to address me and my family.”

The plea Waugh entered was open-ended, with no prior agreement between the district attorney and defense attorney.

Waugh drove a Jeep Liberty that crossed the center line of Highway 17 and struck a car driven by Flowerrs. Flowers broke her right and left femurs and her right knee. Prosecutors played a recording of the original 911 call.

“We had an eyewitness to the case who was making a call to 911 as it was happening,” Deal said. “If there was ever a vehicular homicide case where the evidence was overwhelming, this was it.”

Waugh also was injured in the accident and was flown to Memorial University Health Center. He was arrested Nov. 12, 2014, and a grand jury indicted him in January 2015.