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The man convicted of hitting and killing an Iowa woman in an Omaha crash will serve years behind bars.Eswin Mejia received 20 to 22 years in prison for motor vehicle homicide and flight to avoid arrest.Previous coverage: Man accused of killing Sarah Root in Omaha crash changes pleaMejia caused the crash that killed Sarah Root near 33rd and L streets in 2016. In December, he pleaded guilty to a charge of failure to appear and no contest to motor vehicle homicide.Authorities said Mejia was driving drunk and street racing when he rear-ended Root’s car at a stoplight.Watch: Sarah Root’s mother, Sen. Ernst on ‘Sarah’s Law’Root’s family read victim impact statements on Monday, almost 10 years to the day she was killed.”We needed people to be here to support Sarah. Yes, we are victims, but she is the true victim. Our life that we have to live without Sarah is difficult, but Sarah doesn’t have a life to live. So we have to do these things to keep Sarah’s memory alive and to get justice, which we got today for her,” Michelle Root, Sarah’s mother, said after the sentencing.Mejia, who was in the country illegally, was not put on an immigration hold. He posted $5,000 of his bond and vanished.Prosecutors said his blood alcohol level was 0.179%, and at the time of impact, he was driving 71 mph while Root was traveling at 3 mph. She was coming to a stop near 33rd and L streets.Make sure you can always see the latest news, weather, sports and more from KETV NewsWatch 7 on Google search.NAVIGATE: Home | Weather | Local News | National | Sports | Newscasts on demand |
The man convicted of hitting and killing an Iowa woman in an Omaha crash will serve years behind bars.
Eswin Mejia received 20 to 22 years in prison for motor vehicle homicide and flight to avoid arrest.
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Previous coverage: Man accused of killing Sarah Root in Omaha crash changes plea
Mejia caused the crash that killed Sarah Root near 33rd and L streets in 2016. In December, he pleaded guilty to a charge of failure to appear and no contest to motor vehicle homicide.
Authorities said Mejia was driving drunk and street racing when he rear-ended Root’s car at a stoplight.
Watch: Sarah Root’s mother, Sen. Ernst on ‘Sarah’s Law’
Root’s family read victim impact statements on Monday, almost 10 years to the day she was killed.
“We needed people to be here to support Sarah. Yes, we are victims, but she is the true victim. Our life that we have to live without Sarah is difficult, but Sarah doesn’t have a life to live. So we have to do these things to keep Sarah’s memory alive and to get justice, which we got today for her,” Michelle Root, Sarah’s mother, said after the sentencing.
Mejia, who was in the country illegally, was not put on an immigration hold. He posted $5,000 of his bond and vanished.
Prosecutors said his blood alcohol level was 0.179%, and at the time of impact, he was driving 71 mph while Root was traveling at 3 mph. She was coming to a stop near 33rd and L streets.
Make sure you can always see the latest news, weather, sports and more from KETV NewsWatch 7 on Google search.
NAVIGATE: Home | Weather | Local News | National | Sports | Newscasts on demand |
