Tears, years in highway death
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Jennifer Kraay, the widow of Cameron Kraay, breaks down while making a statement during sentencing for Jason L. Huff on Tuesday. Huff was sentenced for hit and run from a fatal accident in which Cameron Kraay was killed.
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An emotional Jason Huff cries while offering apologies to the family of Cameron Kraay during Tuesday’s sentencing.
JANESVILLE — The victim’s widow sobbed on the witness stand.
The defendant wept.
Their friends and relatives cried quietly in the courtroom Tuesday morning.
Carrying their sadness out of the courtroom, the victim’s and defendant’s relatives hugged and cried together after the hearing.
The defendant, Jason L. Huff, 31, of 1006 W. Fulton St., Edgerton, was sentenced to four years in prison and six years of extended supervision for hit and run from a fatal accident.
He is eligible for programs that could shorten his prison sentence, but if he gets out of prison before four years, the remaining prison time will be added to his extended supervision period.
The widow, Jennifer Kraay, declined comment after the sentencing hearing, but when Judge Michael Byron ordered four years in prison, she nodded, then sobbed again.
Huff hit Cameron Kraay with his truck as Kraay walked along Highway 59 between Newville and Edgerton. The two men knew each other, but they had gone to the annual “Break in the Weather” party in Newville separately.
Kraay had not been drinking.
Huff originally was charged with homicide by drunken driving as well hit and run from a fatal accident. But the prosecution dropped the homicide charge in exchange for Huff’s guilty plea to the hit and run.
Assistant district attorney Kate Buker told Byron on Tuesday that the homicide charge should not be read into Huff’s record because the prosecution could not prove the charge because of the amount time that passed between Kraay’s death and Huff’s arrest.
The accident happened around midnight April 14, 2007. Huff was arrested later in the day April 15.
Jennifer Kraay read only part of her prepared statement before breaking down and then speaking extemporaneously. As she wiped away tears on the witness stand, Huff cried at the defendant’s table.
Kraay wanted Huff sentenced to prison for five to seven years.
She and Cameron had been married only a year and a half before he was killed, Kraay said, and they did not have a chance to have children.
“No matter how much time I think he should get, he’ll able to see his wife on visits,” Kraay said of Huff. “He’ll be able to see his kids on visits. He’ll get letters and phone calls.”
But her husband—a loving, giving, honest man—was lost to her and their family forever, Kraay said.
At one point, she looked at Huff and said: “Jason, honestly, I could never hate you. … I’ve thought about a lot of things. Some of them were pretty harsh, but I’m not a harsh person, and Cameron was not a harsh person. He would not want this.”
Nevertheless, Kraay said, Huff should be sentenced to prison “so he can sit and think about what he did.”
Huff apologized to the Kraay family.
Sobbing, he said: “Being a father and a husband, I can’t imagine the pain you’re going through. I think about Cameron every day when I see my boys. I hope that some day you guys will be able to forgive me.”
Jun 12, 2008 at 2:40 p.m.
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*Most of these people on here have probably gotten behind a wheel when they had too much.*
Everybody does it, so it's okay.
"Yes jason did a bad thing.. BUT this guy was walking on a HIGHWAY, no lights, reflective clothing, NOTHING. Which was not too smart."
It's the victims fault.
"Coming from a HUGE drunk fest that EVERYONE knows there are a TON of drunk drivers."
It's the victims fault, again. This is akin to saying "Hey, that lady went to the bar wearing a short skirt...everyone knows drunk guys like rape chicks".
"The sad thing is this party STILL GOES ON. There are THOUSANDS of people who attend and very very few cars left there the next day."
And yet, no one else got mowed down with a car.
"People who are talking bad about Jason you dont know him."
If you knew him, it would be okay that someone is dead.
"BUT if you live in Edgerton you would see. THIS IS A COMMON THING!! The old mayor got a DUI."
Since someone else got a DUI, someone else should go free for theirs.
"I remember going to a festival and seeing him stumbling around drunk pissing in garbage cans."
Libel.
"There are MORE BARS THAN ANYTHING. No taxi's, no bus, no safe ride."
So since people cannot police their own actions, the state must step in and save their backsides.
*STOP pointing fingers at Jason and start using your "anger" for a good reason. Call the Mayor of edgerton.*
What does the mayor of Edgerton have to do with this? If this Jason fellow had gunned down someone, would you be railing against gun stores? Come on.
*Let HIM know how you feel. Maybe there should be a bus or taxi's that are brought in for the night. SOMETHING.*
Maybe their should be life sentences for drunk driving murderers.
*Its really easy to sit behind a computer and say what you want to say.*
As you are proving, aptly.
*But it takes a REAL man to confess that you made a mistake and take everything that happend and turn it into an educational thing.*
So, if I do something really egregiously wrong and illegal, I can escape punishment by "turning it into an educational thing"?
*Putting jason in jail for life or whatever you people think is good. ISNT going to make this not happen.*
We'll never know if it isn't tried, will we?
*At least Jason and his family are going to teach other people to not make a mistake.*
It's not a mistake, it's a crime.
*And you can say Madd dosnt do anything or it dosnt help but if Jason or his family can touch ONE person. ONE kid ONE friend (which they have already)or One neighbor thats more than you people reading can say for yourself.*
MADD has been indoctrinating people for 30 years and it just goes on and on.
Jun 6, 2008 at 6:49 p.m.
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Char i agree with you. Most of these people on here have probably gotten behind a wheel when they had too much. Not saying all of them do. But Wisconsin has the MOST drunk drivers. Yes jason did a bad thing.. BUT this guy was walking on a HIGHWAY, no lights, reflective clothing, NOTHING. Which was not too smart. Coming from a HUGE drunk fest that EVERYONE knows there are a TON of drunk drivers. The sad thing is this party STILL GOES ON. There are THOUSANDS of people who attend and very very few cars left there the next day. That means those THOUSANDS of people who have probably been at this party since noon getting drunk are also getting behind the wheel and nothing changed after this tragic event. Not to mention all of the Boats and motorcycles that are doing the same. People who are talking bad about Jason you dont know him. You dont know how he is feeling. Everyone says that 4 years is nothing. But on top of that he will have to live with himself and the fact that this happend. And yes people have been preaching about this for years and years. BUT if you live in Edgerton you would see. THIS IS A COMMON THING!! The old mayor got a DUI. I remember going to a festival and seeing him stumbling around drunk pissing in garbage cans. There are MORE BARS THAN ANYTHING. No taxi's, no bus, no safe ride. NOTHING FOR GOD SAKE the middle schoolers in that town are getting drunk!! STOP pointing fingers at Jason and start using your "anger" for a good reason. Call the Mayor of edgerton. Let HIM know how you feel. Maybe there should be a bus or taxi's that are brought in for the night. SOMETHING. Its really easy to sit behind a computer and say what you want to say. But it takes a REAL man to confess that you made a mistake and take everything that happend and turn it into an educational thing. Putting jason in jail for life or whatever you people think is good. ISNT going to make this not happen. Atleast Jason and his family are going to teach other people to not make a mistake. And you can say Madd dosnt do anything or it dosnt help but if Jason or his family can touch ONE person. ONE kid ONE friend (which they have already)or One neighbor thats more than you people reading can say for yourself. Enough said
Jun 4, 2008 at 11:04 p.m.
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at least he can live the rest of his live. I do believe that the punishment is not to harsh. he killed a person because he was not paying attention to what he was doing. all to often i see people speeding thses days and not caring how they are driving.
Jun 4, 2008 at 9:15 p.m.
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He was not found guilty of OWI so no need to be judgemental there. He is a good man and father and it is sad a tragidy like this makes it hard on both families and he will live with this the rest of his life. Thr sad thing is they knew each other and the small town they live in makes it so much harder.
Jun 4, 2008 at 4:30 p.m.
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By any means am i saying it was not his fault!! I believe the punishments shoulda been more. I also no more then where this story stops.
Im not a drinker.... i believe its one of the dumbest things to do in your spare time! it makes you act stupid look stupid and THINK STUPID. But i also Believe you should not look down on the Rest of the Family for His DOING!
I have kids of my own and Believe more people should get involved with Mothers against Drunk Drivers. I also think that the System looks at it to lightly when one of them are Caught!!!! i see so may people in the news getting caught for this stupid act and getting a slap on the wrist! ITS BULL!!! Most dont look at alcohol or a certain person as bad until SOMETHING LIKE THIS HAPPENS!
Jun 4, 2008 at 3:32 p.m.
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Imagine the emotions of the victim, dying alone, on the side of the road.
Jun 4, 2008 at 3:30 p.m.
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This statement:
*I am a very close friend to the huff family and i just would like all the readers to know that Jason Huff is not a horrible guy he just made a REALLY stupid choice by drunk driving!! I *
Does not make sense next to this statement:
*The huff family and I as well Are gonna tell this story to other and Join MADD and Let all the children and people around us know that THIS IS NOT OK TO DRINK AND DRIVE!! *
Others have been telling this same story for over 2 decades, at least--it's too bad Mr. Huff wasn't listening or just did not heed nor care.
Therefore, it wasn't simply a "bad choice" by Mr. Huff, it was a criminal act. I wish people would stop trying to rationalize the criminality of these acts away by saying "Well, so-and-so is/was a good guy who just made a bad choice", yeah, so what, Hitler liked dogs & children, too, that doesn't mitigate his acts of murder.
Jun 4, 2008 at 11:50 a.m.
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I am a very close friend to the huff family and i just would like all the readers to know that Jason Huff is not a horrible guy he just made a REALLY stupid choice by drunk driving!! I was there for every court hearing the family had. Everything wrote in this article was said. expect the fact that kraay had not been drinking. They could not prove they both had been drink for the test were taking to late. Other then that every thing was wrote correctly.
It was one of the hardest days for Jasons wife and family members to see him taken away And to hear Jennifer talk. She spoke with love and was very emotional. and Made us all really think about our lives. My heart goes out to both families!
The huff family and I as well Are gonna tell this story to other and Join MADD and Let all the children and people around us know that THIS IS NOT OK TO DRINK AND DRIVE!! and i really hope someone will learn from these families stories..
Jun 4, 2008 at 11:41 a.m.
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I am sorry to all involved. sad.
Jun 4, 2008 at 11:20 a.m.
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How sad for all involved...
Jun 4, 2008 at 11:15 a.m.
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I see there's one reader comment entered, but I can't find it. Ya, I know it's YOUR site, and you can do what you want with YOUR content. I also know that you are losing CREDIBILITY because of your relentless CENSORSHIP.
Good article, though.
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