Earlier this week, a 24-year-old man was sentenced to 15 years in prison as a result of an accident that killed three of his friends. Michael Thanh Nguyen,24, pleaded guilty to three counts of first degree manslaughter, and Oklahoma County Judge Cindy Truong handed down the sentence.
Nguyen was 22 years old in late March 2014, when he crashed his Subaru Impreza into a building in northwest Oklahoma City. Nguyen admitted that hewas speeding before he lost control of the vehicle. Two of his friends, Victor Troung, 21, and Timothy Tran, 20, died at the scene. Nguyen and Timothy'sbrother Thomas Tran were transported to OU Medical Center, where Tran died three days later.
Although Nguyen only admitted to speeding as a factor in the case, police said his BAC at the time of the accident was 0.07 percent--lower than the perse threshold for DUI in Oklahoma, but sufficient for a charge of driving while impaired.
At sentencing, Nguyen apologized to the family members of his lost friends, saying he was sorry for causing them "pain and suffering,"and adding that he hoped they would be able to forgive him.
Judge Truong, however, did not believe that Nguyen had "learned his lesson" after prosecutors pointed out that Nguyen did not stop drinking following theaccident, that he attended a car show (which she said indicated a continued interest in fast cars), and received two traffic tickets following theaccident--including one that stemmed from a fender bender.
Stories like this are incredibly sad. Foolish decisions led to the loss of three young lives. A fourth young man is sentenced to 15 years in prison. Unfortunately,these stories are not unusual. In April, a judge sentenced Chandler Kardaras to 25 years in prison following a 2013 DUI crash that claimed the lifeof a UCO professor. In that case, the defendant was convicted of second degree murder because Kardaras, who was only 20 years old at the time, alreadyhad a prior DUI conviction.
What is the solution? How can we end these terrible accidents that affect so many, including the friends and family members of both the DUI drivers andthose killed in the accident? Some people point to harsher penalties for DUI as the solution, but often, repeat DUI is not the result of "not learninga lesson," but rather an addiction that a DUI driver is unable to break by himself or herself.
No sentence can bring back those who have been lost. For many of those who have been convicted of DUI manslaughter, the difficulty of a sentence may palein comparison with the guilt they feel on a daily basis. While many people drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs every day and "get away withit," the risks are simply too great. If you are charged with DUI, get legal help as quickly as possible. Call to learn more.
