A fatal DUI case that has been in the system for years now, has finally
found closure, with a man sentenced to 2 years in prison.
The man in question, Ryan C. Kremer, was found to be
driving under the influence of alcohol back in 2010 when he was involved in a fatal car accident on Interstate 95.
The prosecutors had been pushing hard for 24-year-old Kremer to receive
between the standard sentencing amount for those with no prior convictions
and the maximum, between 10.5 and 15 years.
Judge Charlie Crawford did not feel that the maximum sentence was appropriate
in this case, however, as Kremer did not commit the act intentionally,
the incident itself was an isolated occurrence, and Kremer showed remorse
for what happened.
On top of the prison sentence, Kremer was given 2 years community control,
more commonly called house arrest, and 11 years of probation following
his release from prison. In addition, he will be required to perform 440
hours of community service speaking directly to various groups about how
dangerous drunk driving can be.
The accident, which occurred in July 2010, happened when the Cadillac that
Kremer was driving struck a 2003 Ford coupe from behind, causing it to
catch on fire, killing its passenger, 73-year-old John Melita.
The prosecutor’s attorney said that the widow was crestfallen when
she heard the sentencing, as she thought “justice wasn’t done.”
The black box in Kremer’s vehicle showed that he was going barely
shy of 100mph at the time of the accident.