Woman sentenced after 5 children harmed in DUI crash
Drunk driving is something that is always preventable. However, people who have been drinking might not think clearly. This is what one Valparaiso woman says of her decision to drive after drinking one night when she had five children, including three who weren’t her children, in her care.
The woman claims that one of the girls wasn’t feeling well, so she loaded the kids up in her vehicle so that she could take that child home. Unfortunately, she was involved in a crash on her way there. All five children in the woman’s care were injured. One of the children was placed on life support.
She was given a chance to participate in a community corrections program instead of being placed in prison. The judge noted that the woman had failed to comply with the requirements on more than on occasion. In one instance, the woman had consumed alcohol. She reportedly failed to take mandatory daily breath tests at home that would have determined her blood alcohol concentration.
She also had two prior DUI convictions. One was in 2014, and the other was in 2016. This also played a part in her case since both incidents were within the previous five years.
This woman was recently sentenced in the case related to this accident. The prosecution asked for an 18-year sentence, but she faced a total of 34 years behind bars. Ultimately, she was sentenced to 10 years in prison after her conviction. She will have to serve a minimum of 75 percent of the time, but she was given credit for time she’s already served.
Source: The Times, “Update: Valpo woman sentenced to 10 years in DUI crash that sent five children to the hospital,” Bob Kasarda, Sep. 15, 2017