Woman Sentenced for Huffing That Led to Deadly Crash

A 23-year-old woman was slapped with a 10 to 20 year prison sentence in Centre County court Friday, following her conviction on murder charges.

Danielle Packer, of Bellefonte, was convicted of “huffing” and then driving, which resulted in a fatal car wreck.

Twenty-five-year-old Matthew Snyder was killed when Packer’s car struck his vehicle head-on.

The deadly crash happened on Aug. 6, 2012.

According to prosecutors, Packer inhaled fumes from an aerosol can in the parking lot of the Walmart on North Atherton Street. A passenger reportedly testified that Packer asked, “How much do you trust me?” before driving away. The passenger says he asked Packer, “Am I going to die tonight?”

Packer reportedly inhaled more of the fumes while stopped at a red light at Shiloh Road near the Sheetz store.

Prosecutors charged that Packer became “zombified” behind the wheel. The crash happened less than a mile away on State Route 150. Snyder had just left his wife and daughter and was on his way to work.

Prosecutors claim that Packer knew from previous use that huffing could cause her to black out, become light headed, and hallucinate.

She was convicted for a laundry list of serious charges including third degree murder, homicide by vehicle while driving under the influence, aggravated assault, involuntary manslaughter, reckless endangerment and a number of traffic offenses.

The district attorney’s office asked for a substantial sentence because Packer was “playing roulette with the lives of innocent people.”

In a prepared statement, Centre County District Attorney Stacy Parks Miller says, “The Defendant purposely placed herself into a coma as she hurled a one and one-half ton bullet down the highway. No one was safe from her choices that evening and what she took can never be given back.”