Drunk driver kills bicyclist, leaves scene, gets 6 months sentence

[proud2BlibKansan]

A Lawrence man has been sentenced to six months in jail for driving drunk and killing a woman riding her bicycle.

Twenty-two-year-old Joel Hernandez was sentenced Thursday in Douglas County Court for the hit-and-run death of 20-year-old Lawrence resident Rachel Leek, who grew up on Olathe. He was also ordered to perform community service, pay a $500 fine and serve one year probation.

Leek died Oct. 16 in the 1000 block of Tennessee Street, after she was hit by Hernandez, who then left the scene.

Read more: http://www.kansascity.com/2010/05/21/1960705/lawrence-man-sentenced-in-fatal.html#ixzz0ocn2PZko

[Psephos]

1. This defies belief. n/t

[Quantess]

4. Does it?

I recall having heard stories like this over the years. Usually the sentence seems to light. Sometimes the hit and run driver is never even caught.

[proud2BlibKansan]

5. It's appalling

When I think of all the non violent drug offenders sitting in prison for DECADES I just can't wrap my brain around this.

[Psephos]

7. wow, that was my first thought too n/t

[texastoast]

2. Unbelievable.

But I don't know why I say that. The son of one of my dearest friends was killed by a drunk driver and the perp got two years.

This shit is wrong.

[proud2BlibKansan]

8. There was a drunk driver here a couple years ago who hit and killed a man

and he got 30 days.

His family filed a lawsuit against his college fraternity because they made him an alcoholic.

[onehandle]

3. Motor Vehicle Drivers > Bicyclists

It's the American way.

That story is outrageous.

[cliffordu]

6. Well....

:grr: :nuke:

[pansypoo53219]

9. i am anti death penalty.

but i am ok for drunk drivers like that or heavy sentences. we are finally upping ours. 1 stick and you are out. took one arrest to fix my uncle. we got 7 times assholes here.

[proteus_lives]

10. Disgusting.

He should be jail for the rest of his life.

[Berry Cool]

11. Our society is still too forgiving to drunk drivers.

It still identifies more with the "poor drunk driver who shouldn't have to pay for the rest of his life for just one mistake" than it does with their victims.

We seriously need to rethink how drunk driving is sentenced, and how people who drive drunk and kill others are sentenced.

[vicdoc]

12. This is typical

One of my friends, an intelligent young Doctor driving in to the hospital for call was killed by a drunk. He never knew what hit him. The drunk got a broken nose. I think the drunk might have been sentenced to a few years but they only serve a fraction of that time. This Doctor was on call because I put him on the schedule for that day, and although I know I did not kill him, I have always felt some sense that he would be alive if I had put him on another day. His father was a Doctor too, and he was waiting for his son to join him in his practice. It was horrible for this Doctor and his family. So I hate this drunk, for killing my friend, the son of his loving parents. RIP Karl Azizkhan, MD.

[depakid]

13. Memo to the outrage addicts

These are pretty scanty facts.

[tkmorris]

15. Outrage addicts?

That's kind of offensive don't you think?

Otherwise I agree with your point. I went to go find the justification for such a sentence and found very little information. Perhaps they couldn't find the driver at fault for the death, just the DWI and leaving the scene. I don't know and the article doesn't say.

[Codeine]

14. DU's chorus of drunk-driving apologists is strangely silent on this one. nt