A woman received a 15-year term Friday for getting in a street race with her brother that ended with him crashing and killing a couple in an SUV on Easter Sunday nearly two years ago.
Camille L. Dennis-Bond, 21, of Burnsville, was sentenced in Dakota County District Court in connection with the high-speed collision on County Road 42 that killed 22-year-old Tayler Nicole Garza, of Woodbury, and 22-year-old Dalton Lee Ford, of Burnsville.
With credit for time in jail, Dennis-Bond is expected to serve nearly 9¾ years in prison and the balance on supervised release.
A jury found her guilty in mid-December of two counts each of third-degree murder and criminal vehicular homicide, and one count of criminal vehicular operation and careless driving.
Her brother, Leon Bond, was charged as a juvenile over the objections of the County Attorney's Office for his role in the crash. Bond, who was 17 years old at the time of the collision, was sentenced in January after pleading guilty to two counts of third-degree murder.
His sentence includes probation until he turns 21, a "long-term" stay in the Red Wing juvenile facility and other conditions. His 25-year adult sentence will not be imposed unless he violates terms of his probation.
Garza and Ford graduated together in 2017 from Prescott (Wis.) High School.
Garza's online obituary says she was pursuing a degree in nursing at the time of her death, and "together Tayler and Dalton shared in camping, hiking, car club and traveling adventures. They also were 'foodies,' and loved cooking and trying new restaurants and different foods together."
Ford's obituary noted that he "treasured his time with his family and friends and the love of his life, Tayler Garza."
According to the criminal complaint against Dennis-Bond:
At roughly 10:30 a.m. April 4, 2021, Dennis-Bond was racing her brother on eastbound County Road 42. Each had a passenger in their car. One witness said Bond's car was driving "incredibly fast" and hit an SUV that was turning left from westbound County Road 42 onto S. Newton Avenue.
The SUV "basically turned into powder and split in half," the witness said. Ford, who was driving, and Garza both died at the scene.
Bond's passenger, his twin sister, survived critical injuries throughout much of her body and was hospitalized for about 5½ weeks while she underwent at least five surgeries.
A witness estimated the two cars passed him going about 100 mph and said it looked like they were either racing or engaged in a road rage incident. The speed limit on that stretch of road is 50 mph.
A State Patrol analysis of the crash concluded that Bond's vehicle was traveling between 93 and 100 mph at the time of impact, and was touching 114 mph five seconds before the crash.
Bond told law enforcement that he and his older sister were at a stoplight on County Road 42 at Burnsville Parkway, where he told her he wanted to see whose car could get to 50 mph the soonest.
He added that he saw the SUV in plenty of time to avoid a collision but chose instead to speed through the intersection in hopes of avoiding a crash.
