A San Jose lady who struck and killed a 79-year-old grandmother final 12 months even as riding drunk was sentenced Monday to 6 years and 8 months in prison.

Leticia Daisy Martinez, 29, pleaded accountable in January to gross vehicular manslaughter and different fees in reference to the hit-and-run demise of Diana Pundsack, who was gardening in her South San Jose house whilst she was struck by an SUV that got here crashing throughout her entrance yard.

Martinez, who had a blood alcohol content material of a minimum of 0.15 percent, or just about two times the prison limit, was going through a most sentence of simply over 12 years in prison, in step with the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Place of job.

At the sentencing, Martinez learn a letter she wrote expressing regret for her actions, consistent with prosecutor Cody Jones. Martinez's lawyer additionally offered the pass judgement on a packet of letters of enhance from her buddies and family.

Pundsack's grownup daughter Joyce Younger additionally spoke on the time of sentencing. Studying from a ready statement, Younger mentioned the devastating impact her mother's dying had on herself and her grownup son. Younger defined her mom as her ally.

Although Younger wrote that she has no anger toward, Martinez, she requested Martinez no longer receive a mild sentence.

"Ms. Martinez confirmed a complete forget for human existence and public protection that day. ...A DISTANT For those who supply Ms. Martinez a gentle sentence today, will she in point of fact be told

the useful courses that she clearly nonetheless must learn, or will she simply see this as a slap at the wrist?"

On the morning of Would possibly 1, 2011, Pundsack was gardening at her house close to Calero and Snell avenues in South San Jose whilst a 1999 Chevy Suburban jumped the slash and plowed around the entrance backyard. The car slammed into Pundsack and the house, crushing front nook of the construction and a wall of front room.

Pundsack, who labored for a few years as a lunchroom and campus aide at Sylvia Cassell Fundamental School, was said lifeless after she was rushed to Santa Clara Valley Clinical Center.

The crash was the second one of 3 that Martinez was concerned about inside of minutes, police say.

The first befell while the Suburban struck a Honda sedan close to Blossom Hill Highway and Entrada Cedros, simply off Freeway EIGHTY FIVE. The wear was minor, however police say Martinez left the scene. Police say the 26-year-old guy who was using the Honda adopted the fleeing SUV.

With the Honda shut behind, the lady using the Suburban became south on Snell Street after which tried to make a surprising left flip onto Roading Pressure. The Suburban jumped the lessen and a low stone wall in entrance of Pundsack's nook house.

Police

say Martinez sponsored up and sped away. The SUV made a couple of turns ahead of hanging a parked automotive on Bridle Way, off Calero.

Martinez and 3 passengers deserted the SUV, in step with police, and should have attempted to escape on foot, however officials arrived and stopped them.

Some acquaintances mentioned that bystanders arrived first, after following the Suburban from Pundsack's house, and helped block the driving force and passengers.

Contact Mark Gomez at 408-920-5869. Observe him at Twitter.com/markmgomez.