A decorated army ranger and recruiter will serve one to five years in prison for a DUI-fueled crash that killed the woman he was traveling with and for leaving the scene of the accident, as reported by The Journal.
Maryland resident S.T., 47, pleaded guilty to the two charges as part of a binding plea agreement. His sentences will run concurrently as part of the deal: one year for the misdemeanor DUI resulting in death and one to five years for felony leaving the scene of an accident that resulted in death.
In February 2012 a Berkeley County grand jury indicted S.T. on one count of felony DUI resulting in death, leaving the scene of an accident that resulted in death and leaving the scene of an accident involving an unattended vehicle.
On April 14, 2011 S.T. was driving a motorcycle south on U.S. 11, with L.R. riding as his passenger, when the pair drove off the road and struck a utility pole and an unattended pick-up truck.
Due to the impact, L.R. flew off of the motorcycle and hit the utility pole. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
S.T. left the scene. Police found him approximately 100 yards away near a residence. He was flown to Virginia's Inova Fairfax Hospital. Police obtained his medical records and learned that his blood alcohol content was .137 percent.
During S.T.'s hearing both his defense and his family brought up S.T.'s former career with the army. However, L.R.'s father – a former marine and a veteran of the Vietnam war – said that the most important thing one learns in the military is that no one gets left behind.
L.R.'s father, J.S., said, "He didn't care. He ran. He's responsible for the accident. He didn't even bother to see if she was OK. He didn't do any of that…He has no idea what he has done, no idea."
L.H., L.R.'s mother, told the court, "It seems like this has been a sympathy seminar in here today. I just want you to know that that this is not something that gets better every day. It never goes away. There's not a day that I get up and I don't cry for her."
S.T. said that he had tried to commit suicide in 2011 due to the grief he felt over the crash. He said that he also thinks about the accident every day. He believed that L.R. was alive after the crash and had no excuse as to why he left the scene.
S.T. said, "I wish I could have saved her life or something. I know I affected your family greatly. The fact of the matter is it's just sad, and I don't think either family will get over it."
Character witnesses – S.T.'s his mother, brother and former wife – testified in court on his behalf.
Kevin D. Mills, one of S.T.'s attorneys, asked that S.T. be sentenced to home confinement and five years of probation. Mills told the court that his client had no previous criminal record. Mills said, "I think that justice has to be tempered with mercy."
Berkeley County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Timothy D. Helman said that S.T.'s previously clean record, and years of military service, is difficult to weigh against the death that he caused – and fleeing the scene.
In specific regards to leaving the scene, West Virginia 23rd Judicial Circuit Judge John Yoder said, "I just don't see how that's justifiable under any circumstances. It's not consistent with any responsible behavior. Somebody has died here."
If you have found yourself with the unexpected charge of drinking and driving contact a DUI attorney for your defense. A DUI attorney is expert in cases involving DUI, DWI, OUI and OWI.