Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Jennifer B. Schiffer accepted a controversial agreement on Oct. 17 for Jayden Simpson, 18, who pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter in connection to a fatal road rage assault that led to the death of 61-year-old John Hasty.
Under the plea deal, Simpson was sentenced to ten years, suspending all but three months, followed by five years of supervised probation. Judge Schiffer said the sentence must balance Simpson’s lack of intent to kill with the devastating loss to the Hasty’s family.
According to charging documents, on June 4, officers responded to the 6600 block of Holabird Avenue after receiving a call for an aggravated assault. They found Hasty lying unresponsive on the ground, bleeding from his mouth and ears.
Investigators later determined the assault stemmed from a road rage encounter that began along Dundalk Avenue near O’Donnell Street. Surveillance footage showed a 2022 Infiniti SUV pulling into a gas station parking lot after both vehicles exchanged words. Simpson exited the SUV and punched Hasty once in the face, causing him to fall. Simpson and two other occupants fled the scene.
Hasty was transported to the Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, where he was placed on life support before dying the next day, June 5, from blunt force trauma. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner ruled Hasty’s death a homicide.
Detectives said Simpson later voluntarily surrendered to police. After reviewing surveillance footage, the Office of the State’s Attorney charged Simpson with involuntary manslaughter, concluding there was no evidence he intended to kill or inflict fatal harm.
During the plea hearing, the courtroom grew emotional as Hasty’s family and friends spoke out against the plea deal. The prosecution called the case a “senseless murder” and said the family did not want the video of the incident shown in court.
Hasty’s wife described her husband as “a good man, son, husband, friend and stepfather.” His brother and older sister recalled his kindness and dedication to their family, weeping as they said the sentence “does not match the crime,” while a friend of 40 years told Simpson, “90 days for killing a real good man. Do better, Don’t let my friend’s life go to waste.”
Defense attorney Robert D. Cole Jr. said Simpson had accepted responsibility, completed several hours of community service, attends therapy and held two jobs while awaiting trial.
Simpson’s mother spoke to the court, apologizing to the Hasty family and saying her son has been deeply remorseful. She described how her son is currently working, helping around the house with his younger sibling and actively “trying to turn his life around.”
She spoke about how her son watched her struggle with addiction growing up and how that affected him mentally. She also sought to demonstrate Simpson’s character by telling the court how at the age of 16 he took care of his 91-year-old grandmother without complaints, insisting that her son “is not a bad person.”
In his own statement, Simpson told the court, “I want to give my deepest and sincerest apology. I carry this pain as a constant reminder of my actions.”
Judge Schiffer acknowledged the lack of intent but emphasized the lasting harm of the incident, saying, “These people will never be the same.”
As deputies took Simpson into custody, his family called out, “We love you, J. You’ll be home soon.”
Simpson will serve 90 days in custody, followed by five years of supervised probation, during which he must work or attend school full-time.
