A Citronelle woman whose alcohol level was well over the legal limit and who was driving more than double the speed limit when her vehicle wrecked, killing her husband, will spend 18 months in prison, a Mobile County judge ruled Thursday.

Samantha Powell Reid, 42, had been at a social function with her husband of almost 20 years, Jacob Reid, on the night of Dec. 29, 2019.

Court documents show her husband’s “band practice” was a regular occurrence and an opportunity for friends to get together and socialize. Samantha Reid admitted both she and her husband consumed alcohol at the gathering before heading home.

Jacob Reid was initially driving, but Samantha Reid became concerned about his level of intoxication, so they pulled over and she took the wheel.

Surveillance video from Citronelle High School showed the vehicle — a GMC Envoy — traveling at a high rate of speed on a road close to the couple’s home.

The posted speed limit on the road was 30 mph, but black box data recovered from the vehicle shows it was traveling more than 60 mph when it approached an intersection with a stop sign.

Samantha Reid ran the stop sign and crashed head-on into a large tree, according to court documents.

Jacob Reid was not wearing a seat belt, was ejected from the vehicle and died of his injuries. Samantha Reid was seriously injured in the crash, including a vertebrae fracture.

Samantha Reid was indicted by a grand jury in March 2020, charged with reckless manslaughter, a Class B felony in Alabama punishable by no less than two years in prison, up to 20 years.

Court records indicate Samantha Reid’s attorney said they were prepared to show at trial she took medication for seizures, but had run out before she could get a new prescription and was not on her medication the night of the crash, suggesting the crash was the result of a seizure, not her alcohol consumption.

Prosecutors, however, were armed with evidence showing Samantha Reid’s blood alcohol content was .137 at the time of the crash.

In November, Samantha Reid accepted the plea agreement through which she would plead guilty to the lesser offense of criminally negligent homicide/DUI, which carried a possible sentence of a year and a day up to 10 years.

Mobile County Circuit Court Judge Michael Windom sentenced Samantha Reid to the maximum of 10 years, but suspended all but 18 months. Once released, she will also be subject to three years probation.