A Princeton, Kentucky, father has been sentenced to 20 years in prison after a motorcycle crash killed his 15-month-old son, Terry Desmond Traylor, in July 2024.
Joseph Traylor, 50, received the sentence Friday in Caldwell Circuit Court after pleading guilty to vehicular homicide while under the influence of drugs or other substances. He also pleaded guilty to reckless driving and operating a motor vehicle under the influence under aggravating circumstances.
The case began with a fatal crash on July 5, 2024, in the 300 block of Beverly Lane in Princeton. Police said Traylor was riding a motorcycle with his young son strapped to his chest when he traveled the wrong way on a one-way street and attempted a wheelie.
The motorcycle went out of control and struck a telephone pole.
Both Traylor and his son were taken to Caldwell Medical Center after the crash. Terry was pronounced dead at the hospital, while Traylor was later flown to a Nashville hospital for additional treatment. He was arrested after being released from the hospital.
Murder charge later resolved through plea agreement
The crash initially led to a murder charge against Traylor, along with charges related to reckless driving and driving under the influence.
The case changed course in July 2026 when Traylor entered a plea agreement. The murder charge was resolved through the agreement, and he pleaded guilty to the amended vehicular homicide charge as well as the other offenses.
At Friday’s sentencing hearing, Traylor was given an opportunity to speak to the court but declined.
Judge Jamus Redd said he had reviewed the pre-sentence investigation report and determined that Traylor was not eligible for probation or shock probation. The judge also said Traylor must serve 85% of the 20-year sentence before becoming eligible for parole.
Redd ordered Traylor to serve the sentence in the custody of the Kentucky Department of Corrections. The judge also agreed to suspend the fines connected to the lesser charges.
A family left grieving
During the hearing, Commonwealth’s Attorney Carrie Ovey-Wiggins told the court that Terry’s death had deeply affected his family and asked the judge to follow the 20-year sentence included in the plea agreement.
Redd described the case as a horrible tragedy and said he hoped the sentence would bring some measure of closure, while recognizing that the loss of a young child may never be fully resolved for those left behind.
Terry was born in March 2023 and was just 15 months old when he died. His obituary remembered him for his infectious smile and described his short life as a blessing to those who knew him.
The sentencing brings the criminal case to a significant point more than two years after the crash, but for Terry’s family, the loss remains at the center of a tragedy that began on a Princeton street in the summer of 2024.
