DUI Offender Receives 8-Year Sentence
A 68-year-old city woman has received an 8-year prison sentence for her third DUI conviction in less than six years. Her latest offense caused serious injuries to a Stratford construction foreman.
Superior Court Judge Bruce Hudock has ensured the court that this third offense will be this woman’s last. He has sentenced her to fifteen years in prison, suspended after she serves eight years, followed by five years of probation. She was also fined $2000.
The victim, a 47-year-old of Cutspring Road in Stratford, was stopped at a traffic light on Railroad Avenue on June 7, 2008. He was stopped in his truck when he was struck from behind in a car driven by the offender. Her car pushed the victim’s pickup through the intersection, causing it to roll over about 70 feet away. The victim’s head and body were crushed in the wreck and was in a constant coma for over a month.
After coming out of a coma, he decided to take the stand. The victim slowly made his way to the stand and stated:
“I was just sitting at a red light on a Saturday morning and this accident changed my life around,” he said, before he was interrupted by a coughing fit. “Life is now a hardship for me and my family. I wish this woman could spend one day with me to see all my difficulties,” he said. “I say to myself, what did I ever do to deserve this?”
The victim’s wife told the judge her husband’s health insurance is about to run out, and his medical bills have totaled about $500,000.
The offender pleaded guilty to first-degree assault with a motor vehicle and operating under the influence of alcohol as a third offender. Her blood-alcohol level was at 0.23, nearly three times the legal limit.