Mom gets 6-23 months for kids riding in 'trunk'

A Hanover woman pleaded guilty on Thursday to allowing her children to ride unrestrained in the back of a 2002 Chevrolet Corvette for a sentence of six to 23 months in York County Prison.

Jessica Reger, 29, pleaded guilty to endangering the welfare of children. On July 10, Hanover Borough police pulled the car over after getting a report and found two children, then 3 and 5, in what they described as the trunk — a term that the defense disputed in court.

"Corvettes don't have trunks. Corvettes have wells in the back," said Korey Leslie, an attorney who represented Reger. "The trunk issue has always been a sticking point for us."

Convicted child abuser gets 4 to 8 years in prison

Before accepting the plea, Common Pleas Judge Christy H. Fawcett had Reger explain what happened.

Reger, who had been riding as a passenger in the car, said she allowed her children to get into the back of the two-seater: an area that she described as "like a well, an open space” — though it’s unclear why. Right now, the kids have “temporary guardianship,” she said.

As part of her sentence, Reger was ordered to take parenting classes, which she has already finished. She was also found in violation of her probation and sentenced to serve nine to 23 months, which will run at the same time.

YMCA CEO keeps job, resolves criminal case

The driver, Ilena Blackburn, 28, pleaded guilty on Oct. 14 to recklessly endangering another person and to using an improper child restraint system in exchange for serving 1 1/2 years on probation, completing 50 hours of community service and paying a $75 fine.

Outside the courtroom, Senior Deputy Prosecutor Sarah Buhite said she did not know whether the back area of the car should be described as a well or a trunk.

“I don’t think it makes a difference,” Buhite said, adding there were no child seats and that the kids were not wearing seatbelts. “There are laws, and they’re supposed to be followed.”

Contact Dylan Segelbaum at 771-2102.