Bloomington man sentenced to prison for fatal hit-and-run crash

Jakeb Collins was sentenced to a 16-year prison term on the charges Friday. (Photo courtesy Bloomington Police Department)

By Greg Halbleib

BLOOMINGTON – A Bloomington man has been sentenced to prison for a fatal hit-and-run crash last fall and a home invasion and armed robbery 10 months earlier.

Jakeb Collins, 22, was sentenced Friday to a total of 15 years in prison for reckless homicide and failure to report a crash on September 13 of last year. A woman from Carmel, Indiana, Phyllis Graver, 79, died as a result of the wreck on Morrissey Drive at Chrisman Lane. Another man driving a similar vehicle was originally arrested in connection with the crash, but Collins’ mother turned her son in the next day after learning about the case through news reports.

Collins was also sentenced to 16 years in prison for an unrelated armed robbery in Normal in November 2016. Police said Collins was part of a group that entered a residence on Oak St. and took about $200 cash.

Collins pleaded guilty to the charges on Friday. The sentences for the crash will run concurrently with the 16-year robbery sentence.

Greg Halbleib can be reached at [email protected]

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