While a man has pleaded guilty to vehicular homicide DUI, avoiding original charges that also included reckless endangerment and felony fleeing the scene of an accident, the girlfriend of the man that was killed is speaking out about her loss and her anger over the dropped charges, as reported by the Auburn Reporter.
F.G., drove through a red light and slammed into a taxicab driven by B.L. in July 2013.
C.C., B.L.'s girlfriend of seven years said, "My whole world has just been turned upside down since that day. When I lost him, I lost my home, I lost ... everything…"
After several court delays and over a dozen postponements F.G. changed his plea to guilty on April 23. In an effort to avoid a lengthier sentence, F.G. only pleaded guilty to a single charge of vehicular homicide DUI that has a standard prison sentence of 10 to 13.1 years.
F.G.'s sentencing is scheduled for May 9 at Kent's Maleng Regional Center.
The plea deal allows for the prosecution to request the 13.1 year maximum sentence, with 18 more months after release of community custody, evaluation, and treatment for substance abuse. F.G. must also attend a DUI victim's panel and have an ignition interlock device installed in his vehicle. In exchange the state will agree to dismiss the other counts.
The plea agreement also takes into account that F.G., a convicted felon, had previously spent 10 years behind bars for assault and kidnapping.
C.C. is not pleased with the prosecution's plea deal and commented, "Oh, I'm angry, I'm really, really angry. I mean, he postponed 17 times, he's been playing games and jerking everybody around. I don't think he deserves any time off; he had just gotten out of prison. If he only gets 10 years, he'll be 40 when he gets out. Plenty of time to go out and kill somebody else."
According to the Auburn Police at 5:51 a.m. on July 5, 2013 an officer witnessed a 2002 Chevrolet Tahoe driving fast in the outside lane of Auburn Way North and "punch the driver's side door of the taxi." The taxi, driven by B.L., was directly behind the officer's vehicle, heading eastbound on Main Street.
After the collision the Tahoe rolled over onto its roof, and the driver, F.G., exited and ran westbound. There was a passenger in the Tahoe, F.G.'s injured girlfriend was left behind. She survived the crash while B.L. died of his injuries.
Officers caught F.G. on South Division Street. A witness identified him as the driver of the Tahoe, and after being read his Miranda rights, F.G. admitted that he was the driver.
The police statement reads, "Officers smelled an obvious odor of intoxicants emanating from the driver and believed he had been consuming alcohol while driving."
As she broke down in tears C.C. said, "They want me to get up and speak at the sentencing. It's the hardest thing I've ever had to do in my life — trying to get it all out. Every day. I get up, kiss his picture, tell him I love him."
Contact a DUI attorney for any charges related to drunk driving or driving under the influence of a drug. Whatever your particular scenario may be, as each DUI case is different, a DUI attorney will be the best person to help you.