A Bethel woman who killed one man and severely injured another after striking them with her vehicle in 2023 has been sentenced to serve 1 year and 3 months in jail.
Twenty seven-year-old Jayme Watson pleaded guilty in May 2025 to one count of criminally negligent homicide and one count of felony third-degree assault for an incident in Bethel that resulted in the death of Fritzerald Larson, and left Toby Jackson with permanent injuries.
According to charging documents, Watson struck the two men with a truck she was driving on 3rd Ave. near the center of town at some point in the late evening hours of Aug. 25, 2023. Watson left the scene, but in the hours that followed turned herself in to Bethel police and submitted to a blood test. Watson’s blood alcohol content tested below the legal limit at the time.
As part of a plea agreement, the court dismissed charges of manslaughter, driving under the influence (DUI), reckless driving, leaving the scene of an accident, and additional assault counts.
At Watson’s sentencing in February, Judge Nelson Traverso cited Watson’s lack of criminal record, family support, and prospects for rehabilitation. But he said Watson’s cooperation with police was crucial in his decision to accept the plea agreement.
"I do know that while she probably had panicked in the beginning, her subsequent cooperation with law enforcement made a huge difference," Traverso said.
Bethel District Attorney Mark Clark condemned the fact that Watson had consumed alcohol before driving. But he said there was no evidence of erratic driving, and that the investigation by Bethel police into a potential DUI was poorly conducted. Clark said video of the incident did not show evidence that Watson was intoxicated, but did show that the victims were walking in the middle of the road in the dark, wearing dark clothing at the time they were struck.
"Given the totality of the circumstances, the state believes that the agreement is a just outcome to ensure a conviction, to ensure that there is accountability for what happened here," Clark said.
Jackson, who suffered a fractured skull and other injuries, appeared alongside family members at Watson’s sentencing. He told the court he had trouble remembering things and that his brain is "not all there.” Jackson’s mother questioned the fairness of the sentence and asked the judge for more time.
Immediate family members of Fritzerald Larson did not speak at sentencing.
Watson is currently serving her sentence at a Bethel halfway house, according to online records.
Traverso sentenced Watson to 3 years, with 2 years suspended for criminally negligent homicide, and 2 years, with 1 year and 9 months suspended for third-degree assault. Watson has also been sentenced to 5 years of probation and 150 hours of community service.
