Virginia Man Sentenced in Fatal Drunk Driving Crash
September 22, 2011
A Virginia man who was legally drunk when he blew through a stop sign and caused a fatal Easter Sunday collision was sentenced this week to seven to 21 years in prison.
The sentencing, in an Oneida County courtroom, was an emotional one, according to the Utica Observer-Dispatch.
“[My father] survived a horrible war in Bosnia, was wounded, spent days in a concentration camp,” said the victim’s daughter. “Finally, when he could enjoy his life again and enjoy his grandkids, his life was cut short by a total stranger who made the worst possible choice: to get in a car and drive after he had been drinking.”
The woman spoke to the 46-year-old man who caused the fatal crash in Utica, New York, on April 24 at the intersection of South Street and Webster Avenue. The crash also seriously injured the victim’s 47-year-old wife, whose condition prevented her from coming to court.
“I can’t imagine her suffering,” said a district attorney. “How she goes on every day, I don’t know … [She] will never have her [husband] back.”
The man earlier plead guilty to aggravated vehicular homicide, aggravated vehicular assault, and aggravated driving while intoxicated. Injured himself in the crash, the driver has taken issue with having had his blood drawn by authorities while unconscious.
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What do you think can be done to deter Virginia drunk drivers?
If you or someone you know has been the victim of a Virginia auto accident, the injury lawyers at Lowell Stanley can help.
