YOUNGSTOWN Man gets 8 years for accident that killed girlfriend

By BOB JACKSON
VINDICATOR COURTHOUSE REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN -- A 21-year-old city man is going to prison and can never drive again because of a crash that killed his girlfriend.
Luis Sanchez of South Garland Avenue was sentenced Friday to eight years in prison by Judge Jack Durkin of Mahoning County Common Pleas Court. It was the maximum allowable sentence for aggravated vehicular homicide, to which Sanchez pleaded guilty Aug. 22.
The judge also imposed a lifetime suspension of Sanchez's driver's license.
Sanchez was indicted in August 2002 in the March 3, 2002, accident on 12th Street in Campbell that killed Keyshara Hawkins, 22, of Youngstown, a passenger in his vehicle. Sanchez was driving with a suspended license and under the influence of alcohol when the accident happened.
Reading from a written statement, Sanchez said he and Hawkins had planned to get married.
"I lost the love of my life," he said. "Knowing that I'm still here and she's gone is the worst thing that ever happened to me."
Sanchez apologized to Hawkins' family and said he has no recollection of the accident.
Probation violation
Judge Durkin said the eight-year sentence will be concurrent with a three-year sentence Sanchez recently received from Judge Maureen A. Cronin for violating terms of probation.
Sanchez pleaded guilty and was placed on two years' probation by Judge Cronin in February 2001 for failure to obey a police order. He was still on probation for that charge when he was arrested for the aggravated vehicular homicide, which resulted in the probation violation.
bjackson@vindy.com