Herbert Lee says teens' deaths 'eats at him' every day

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Herbert Lee is out of jail but says he still feels imprisoned by the fact that he took four lives.

Lee, who was convicted of manslaughter for the deaths of four teens who died in the stolen car he was driving during a police chase and crash in December of 2008.

"I never did meant for anybody to get hurt," said Lee during a recent interview with activist Christopher 2x and produced by Blu Boi Entertainment. "It's something that I have to live with. The action I did I have to live with everyday that I took four lives -- it eats at me every day."

The interview, shot in December, was distributed to news organizations over the weekend. Lee was released last month after serving a year on the manslaughter charges that resulted from the fatal crash near First and Hill Streets.

Lee was leaving a Youth Alive event and a staff member asked if he could provide rides for four boys: Aaron Shields and Jemar, Demar and Marc Claybrooks.

Driving a stolen car, Lee recalls in the interview how the night unfolded -- how he was spotted by police, and took off when officers tried to pull him over.

"I was anxious to get away. and at the same time I was scared," Lee said.

He says he got a three block lead on the police before he lost control and crashed near 1st and Hill. He didn't learn the four boys died until he found himself in the youth detention center.

"It's really something that is hard to explain, it was a terrible case and I don't wish nobody to have anything like this," he said.

Now out of a youth detention camp, Lee recently visited a memorial set up for the boys. He says he wants to meet with their parents in the near future.

He also wants to work with at-risk youth.

"My intent was not to hurt anybody," Lee said. "What I would tell them is if you are in a stolen car -- pull over."

Lee says he wants to work with at-risk youth and plans to meet with the parents of the teens who died.

Marc Hampton, the father of three of the teens, says he respects that Lee is trying to turn his life around and plans to meet with him "in the near future."

A message left for the mother of Aaron Shields was not immediately returned.