A Green Country family is fighting for justice

TC Lane was killed in a hit and run accident in December. <br/><br/>Zachary Hudson was arrested and charged with murder. Then, the victim's family found out Hudson was not even supposed to be behind

Monday, June 28th 2004, 10:23 am

By: News On 6

TC Lane was killed in a hit and run accident in December.

Zachary Hudson was arrested and charged with murder. Then, the victim's family found out Hudson was not even supposed to be behind the wheel that night because he was on probation for a DUI just a few months earlier and had his license suspended.

News on 6 crime reporter Lori Fullbright says 22 year old TC Lane[pictured] was a senior at Stetson University in Florida and had dreamed of a life in politics, especially after interning on Capitol Hill. But on December 24th, TC and a friend went out to celebrate their birthdays and took a cab home because they'd been drinking.

Once the cab dropped them off, they got into a fight with two other men; Zachary Hudson was one of them. Witnesses say TC got the best of Hudson in that fight and afterward, Hudson got behind the wheel, ran down TC, then left the scene.

TCâ€™s father, Tom Lane: "We got a call at 3 AM that he was in the hospital and he died two days later." Hudson was arrested three days later after a Crimestoppers tip.

Then, TC's family found out Hudson had pleaded guilty to a DUI in September in Rogers County and received probation. Part of that probation involved not drinking or driving. So, TC's family believed Hudson's probation should be revoked. The Rogers County DA did ask a judge to send Hudson to the Avalon House, a private jail facility for 30 days.

TC's family doesn't think that's tough enough. Tom Lane: "He wants to cut another sweet deal. This is why we continue to have people drink and drive because nobody will make them be accountable."

TC's family says they doesn't want to influence the future case against Hudson, they just want him to be held accountable for his past crime. They say no matter what happens with either case, nothing will be worse than what they've already endured. TCâ€™s mom, Nanette Lane: "There's not a recovery because you never recover, you just learn to live with it."

Rogers County DA Gene Haynes told the News on 6 he can't revoke a person's probation based on new crimes unless the person is convicted and Hudson hasn't gone to trial yet for TC's death. He said the 30-day offer is what he would make for other first time misdemeanor DUI offenders.

He did acknowledge that Hudson did not do his community service hours, but instead paid money to buy them out. He wasn't sure whether he completed his mandatory treatment course, but we could find no record of it.