Syracuse residents may be interested in the outcome of a case that involved the death of a 23-year-old woman. Her 29-year-old boyfriend was recently convicted in that case of second-degree vehicular manslaughter, although a judge chose to show him leniency for what could have been a one- to three-year sentence. He will instead spend six months in the Onondaga County Jail, which will be followed by five years on probation for his DWI charges.
The incident in question happened on March 20 on the Thruway while the 29-year-old man was driving his girlfriend’s car. Reportedly, the pair was traveling eastbound on the Thruway when he drove off the road. That caused the vehicle to hit a guardrail and flip over. Police say the man was driving while intoxicated at the time of the crash.
The girlfriend was pronounced dead at University Hospital due to a severe head injury. The man had only sustained a minor head injury, and police reported he had a blood alcohol content of 0.13 percent, which is above the legal limit.
No one means to cause an accident like this, and facing serious charges after losing someone close to you can be overwhelming. However, courts and law enforcement officials do not take instances of DUI lightly. In this situation, the judge granted the man leniency in his sentencing based on a request from his former girlfriend’s mother. However, not everyone is awarded such treatment. He could have been sentenced to as many as three years in prison. Syracuse residents who have been charged with vehicular manslaughter may find it beneficial to speak with an experienced defense attorney.
Source: The Oneida Daily Dispatch, “Alan McCarthy granted leniency-sentenced to 6 months in county jail,” Caitlin Traynor, Nov. 28, 2011
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December 26, 2011 pm31 15:13
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