Mother of victim in fatal crash relieved by arrest

Man charged with DUI manslaughter six months after head-on collision

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – After an arrest comes in a February head-on collision that killed two people, Channel 4 is hearing from the mother who lost her only daughter in the crash.

Joseph Farley, 35, was arrested Friday and charged with two counts of DUI manslaughter in the death of Crystal Sanford and her boyfriend, Gary Simmons (pictured, below).  They were killed early the morning of Feb. 27 when Farley's pickup truck crossed over the median of Beach Boulevard and hit the oncoming car.

Sanford's mother, Gail, lost her only daughter in the crash.

"She in heaven, smiling. She happy. She's not in pain," said Gail Sanford.

Sanford's mother said her 22-year-old daughter had left a club that night and was going to drop her boyfriend off at home, but a suspected drunk driver interrupted that plan.

Over the weekend, after months of hoping for an arrest, her prayers were answered when troopers arrested Farley.  He is being held without bond in the Duval County jail (booking photo, below).

"I was glad. I was really happy that they got him," said Sanford.

Troopers said the final results of Fairley's blood alcohol test showed he was over the legal limit.

Sanford said the accident was senseless and ruined her daughter's dream of enrolling in college and studying criminal justice this fall.

Crystal also left two children, ages 1 and 5.

"My heart breaks for them because she was the mother and nobody can take your mothers place," said Sanford.

Sanford said her daughter had started dating Simmons a few months before the accident.

When she first met him she said, 'I just met this tall guy.' I said, 'You did?' She described him to me and I said 'You go, girl.'"

It's happy moments like this that Sanford chooses to hold on to. She thinks about them every day to keep going.

People ask me, 'How you doing?' I say I am doing fine. I try to tell people a joke to laugh. I think about it but I can't bring her back. She's gone," Sanford said.