DAD HAD HIS BABY SON STRAPPED TO HIS CHEST WHEN HE TRIED A MOTORCYCLE WHEELIE — NOW HE’S SENTENCED TO 20 YEARS

Joseph Traylor pleaded guilty after his 15-month-old son Terry died in a 2024 motorcycle crash in Kentucky

A Kentucky father has been sentenced to 20 years in prison after his 15-month-old son died in a motorcycle crash while the toddler was strapped to his father’s chest.

Joseph Traylor, of Princeton, Kentucky, was sentenced in Caldwell Circuit Court on October 2, 2026, following his guilty plea in the case involving the death of his son, Terry Desmond Traylor.

The heartbreaking case dates back to July 5, 2024, when police said Traylor was riding a motorcycle with Terry secured against his chest.

Investigators said Traylor was traveling the wrong way on a one-way street when he attempted a wheelie.

He then lost control of the motorcycle and crashed into a telephone pole.

THE TODDLER WAS ONLY 15 MONTHS OLD

According to police, Terry was just 15 months old at the time of the crash.

Both father and son were taken by ambulance to Caldwell Medical Center.

Terry was pronounced dead at the hospital.

Traylor was later transported by helicopter to a hospital in Nashville for treatment. After he was released, he was arrested on a warrant connected to the crash.

Terry’s obituary remembered the little boy for his “infectious smile.”

He was born on March 9, 2023, and was survived by his mother, Adrianna Lewis, his father and several siblings.

THE CASE INITIALLY INVOLVED A MURDER CHARGE

The legal case initially took a much more serious turn.

A Caldwell County grand jury indicted Traylor on a murder charge, along with reckless driving and driving under the influence.

He initially pleaded not guilty in October 2024.

But in July 2026, Traylor entered a guilty plea to an amended charge of vehicular homicide while under the influence of drugs or substances.

He also pleaded guilty to reckless driving and operating a motor vehicle under the influence under aggravating circumstances.

20 YEARS BEHIND BARS

At Friday’s sentencing hearing, prosecutors asked the judge to follow the terms of the plea agreement and impose a 20-year prison sentence.

Judge Jamus Redd said he had reviewed Traylor’s pre-sentence investigation report and noted that probation and shock probation were not options.

Traylor must serve 85% of the sentence before becoming eligible for parole, according to the local courtroom report cited by PEOPLE.

When the judge gave Traylor an opportunity to address the court, he declined.

The judge described the case as a “horrible tragedy” and said he hoped the sentence could provide some measure of closure to those affected, while acknowledging that complete closure might never be possible.

A FAMILY LEFT WITH A PAINFUL LOSS

Terry’s death has left a family mourning a little boy who had barely begun his life.

The toddler was remembered not for the circumstances of his final moments, but for the smile his loved ones knew so well.

Now, more than two years after the crash, the criminal case has reached its conclusion with Traylor’s 20-year sentence.

For Terry’s family, however, a prison sentence cannot bring back the little boy they lost.

He was only 15 months old.

And his family will have to carry his memory for the rest of their lives.