A Connecticut man was sentenced Wednesday to six years in prison for a dirt bike crash that killed the daughter of a former NBA player.
Scott Whipple, 27, will be on probation for five years after serving the six-year term, the New Haven Register reported. If he violates the terms of his probation, he’ll have to serve four additional years.
Whipple was driving a dirt bike with Tiara Wheeler on the back when he ran a red light in Groton and struck an SUV turning left on Aug. 28, 2023, according to authorities. Wheeler, the 24-year-old daughter of former pro basketball player Tyson Wheeler, was killed in the collision. Whipple also suffered serious injuries in the crash.
He pleaded guilty to second-degree manslaughter in March and was guaranteed a sentence between three and seven years as part of a plea deal.
“Scott, you robbed me of my daughter,” Tyson Wheeler told Whipple at Wednesday’s hearing, according to the Register. “You didn’t just kill her that day. You shattered everyone who loved her.”
Tyson Wheeler played just three minutes in the NBA for the Denver Nuggets in 1999, scoring four points. In college, he was a star at Rhode Island for four years.
