By HOLLY GASKILL
& SYDNEY KENT
Kaylee Heckber, a 19-year-old from Bluffton, choked back tears as she read her statement to the woman who nearly claimed her life after driving drunk almost 18 months ago.
“I don’t want to hate you because of what happened,” she said. “I just want you to get better for your kids and those who love you.”
Christen Gerber, 41, Bluffton, was sentenced in Adams County Superior Court on Monday after pleading guilty to one count of causing catastrophic injury for operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated, a Level 4 felony, and one count of causing serious bodily injury when operating a vehicle while intoxicated, a Level 5 felony.
Each charge was attributed to a victim in a car crash just over the Adams County line on March 9, 2023. Gerber was sentenced to 12 years with seven years executed — two years will be served at the Adams County Jail and the remaining five years to be served on house arrest. Gerber is also required to report to probation for two years following her release from house arrest. Until then, she will also not be allowed to drive.
The sentence followed a nearly four-hour emotional hearing, during which four people testified to Gerber’s character and growth since the accident.
“I know what I did, I know the crime I did, and I’m aware there are no excuses for my actions,” Gerber began in her statement before sentencing. “People say, ‘You’re a Christian, how could this happen?’ Because I was being selfish.”
According to a probable cause affidavit, Gerber was driving a Chevrolet Traverse northbound on Adams County Road 700 West and blew through a stop sign at State Road 124. Her vehicle was traveling at approximately 60 mph as it T-boned a Chevrolet Impala driven by Heckber, a then 17-year-old from Bluffton.
Gerber tested at three times the legal alcohol level in a blood draw, according to Prosecutor Jeremy Brown.
Heckber and her passenger, Keaton Osmun, a then 16-year-old from Ossian, both suffered severe injuries in the crash and were transported to Lutheran Hospital in Fort Wayne. Due to the extent of her injuries, Heckber was transferred to Shirley Ryan AbilityLab in Chicago, where she stayed for two months.
Osmun tragically died in an unrelated crash approximately one year later along with Lillyian Ellenberger, 19, Ossian. Osmun’s absence was repeatedly recognized by the court on Monday.
Kaylee Heckber, her mother, Sarah Heckber, and father, Adam Heckber, all testified.
Judge Samuel Conrad cited the extent of Kaylee Heckber’s injuries as an aggravating factor in Gerber’s sentencing. Heckber was ejected from the vehicle, and a first responder from the Adams County Sheriff’s Department noted that Heckber’s pulse was faint, and her heart stopped beating entirely at one point.
Heckber suffered extensive injuries — a brain bleed, a broken clavicle, a severed ear, numerous cuts and bruises — and went through an estimated 27 strokes, a seven-hour surgery, and two months of physical therapy to regain the ability to walk and complete basic tasks. She continues to struggle with her memory and attention span and has not been able to pursue further education or maintain a job.
In discussing this factor, Conrad noted that Adam Heckber’s testimony was “poignant.”
“I look in the back of the ambulance,” Adam Heckber paused to collect his emotions. “And I see my daughter fighting for her life. To look at your daughter’s life sucking for air — it’s a moment I’ll never forget.”
Sarah Heckber also gave an emotional account from that evening, describing hearing Heckber’s labored breathing, also known as the “death rattle.”
“A man said, ‘You need to hurry, your daughter doesn’t have much time to live,’” Sarah recounted. “I found her in the field. She was bleeding from her nose and choking on her blood. There was glass in her eyes. I begged her to just keep breathing.”
Brown played a portion of footage taken from Deputy Josh Kimberlin’s dashcam. The audio captured Sarah’s voice repeatedly telling her to breathe and to stay with her. Kaylee’s labored breathing and groaning were also heard. As it played back, Kaylee exchanged a grieved glance with her mother in the courtroom.
Sarah also detailed the long and difficult journey to recovery — one that still continues. She was only recently cleared by her doctors to be alone, Sarah said. The brain injury has also impacted the side of the brain that processes emotion, leading Sarah to say, “I lost a kid that night. I’ve had to relearn her.”
Conrad also credited multiple mitigating factors in Gerber’s sentencing, mentioning that she had no prior criminal record, appeared to show genuine contrition and remorse for her actions, and would likely respond to probation.
To this effect, three Christian mental health professionals spoke for over an hour about their treatment of Gerber.
Amber Todd, a mental health counselor from Fort Wayne, began counseling Gerber and her husband, Lane, in the fall of 2022 for marital, emotional and spiritual support. Todd stated she had five sessions with the couple before the crash.
“It was a surprise because it was a season that they had been investing and growing … and did not want alcohol to be part of their lives,” Todd explained. Todd stated she had learned alcohol was an issue for both Christen and Lane Gerber during their third counseling session together but that she was not aware it was that severe.
Todd continued counseling the couple after the crash but referred them to a psychiatrist and treatment for alcoholism. Dr. Stephen Ross and Dr. Daniel Schreck, both licensed clinical psychologists, also testified. Schreck said that he and others have witnessed Gerber’s growth and change since meeting her in April 2023. He testified that Gerber has completed over 53 individual hours of therapy and over 90 hours of group therapy, in addition to beginning to lead others through recovery.
Ross explained that Gerber first struggled with alcohol in high school and has battled with severe anxiety and depression, largely due to suffering eight miscarriages.
In cross-examination, Brown questioned how many of the details Gerber shared with Ross, particularly if she disclosed that she was drinking in a church parking lot prior to the accident. He said no.
However, Ross said that someone maintaining sobriety this long is atypical, and he believes she has a high chance of success. Ross also stated that he did not believe a prison was the appropriate environment to continue her growth.
“Today’s hearing isn’t all about Mrs. Gerber, is it?” Brown asked, and Ross agreed.
Lane Gerber also presented a tearful testimony, apologizing to his wife of over 20 years for his own sin and selfishness in their marriage and to the families affected for their pain and suffering. He concluded, “We pray that this transformation will help others.”
The idea of transformation was the linchpin to Christen Gerber’s sentiments as well. She stood facing Conrad as she discussed how her actions did not reflect who she was to her core, saying she was working to rectify the selfishness and sin that brought her to the crash and was committed to sobriety. She also spoke directly to the Heckber family, apologizing for how her actions had harmed them.
“I am doing all the things I can do, but the one thing I cannot do is take back the events of that night,” Gerber said.
Conrad dismissed two mitigating factors listed from the defense — namely, that jail time would cause undue harm to Gerber’s two children and that the crash was a random act. Conrad emphasized that Gerber’s personal history with alcohol showed that her actions had brought about the accident and that jail time would be a due consequence of those actions.
In closing, Gerber’s counsel, Travis Friend, asked the state to consider no jail time with three years on house arrest, emphasizing how Gerber demonstrated a change of heart and committed actions to do better. “Maybe it’s not how you start but how you finish that’s important,” he said.
The prosecution asked for a sentence of seven years with the Department of Correction, which Kaylee and Sarah Heckber affirmed.
“If someone is able to drink to that extent and get behind the wheel of a vehicle, that doesn’t represent a random act,” Sarah said. “I want you to get better.”
Furthermore, Brown expressed frustration that the defense had largely discussed the case as a matter of addiction when the charges were specifically regarding the choices and actions that had led to two teens being seriously injured and their lives irrevocably changed. He also felt the defense had discussed the issue as a matter of faith but did not acknowledge the legal consequences.
“Give to God what to God and to Caesar what is Caesar,” Brown said, referencing Bible verse Mark 12:17. He commended Gerber for her actions toward change since the crash, but added, “That is not and should never be a great, big eraser for culpability for what has been done … Your ability to embrace your addiction now does not excuse your conduct.”
Adam Heckber, on the other hand, stated he felt that while jail time was appropriate, seven years felt too severe given Gerber has two children. However, he did not excuse Gerber’s choices. “We’ve stressed a lot (through this), and I haven’t drank, and I won’t drink,” he said.
In his ruling, Conrad commended Gerber for what appeared to be a genuine commitment to change, saying, “I’ve never seen so many attempts for rehabilitation and support.” However, he still felt that some jail time was appropriate.
Conrad advised that Gerber would be eligible for home detention after one-and-a-half years served of her sentence. He also specified that the time be served at the Adams County Jail, as the Department of Correction was “reserved for a certain type of conduct and a certain type of offender.”
At the defense’s request, Gerber was permitted to return home to her children and report to the jail at 9 a.m. on Tuesday.
holly@news-banner.com,
sydney@news-banner.com
