A San Diego Superior Court sitting in San Diego, California, on Tuesday, July 28th, sentenced to prison the man who severely injured a bicyclist in Ramona. Chase Edwards Richards, 35, received a sentence of three years and eight months, including jail time and community service.
The man pleaded guilty last month to felony charges of reckless driving resulting in serious injury, and vandalism. Deputy District Attorney Valerie Ryan described Richard’s sentence as a striking balance between punishment and rehabilitation, and Judge Robert Amador said the victim’s family showed mercy to the convict.
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The incident the man stood trial occurred last Fall, on October 2nd. The accident report at the time showed that at about 6:15 a.m., on State Route 67 near Dye Road, Richards struck Michelle Scott. The woman’s injuries were so extensive that medics airlifted her to Palomar Medical Center in Escondido for treatment.
The victim remained at the hospital for two months before her family transferred her to a nursing facility in Poway, where she remains under full-time care. She is recovering from a brain injury. Richards left the crash site, and the California Highway Patrol said a tip led officers to his home where they found the damaged SUV involved in the vehicle.
Richards would spend two years in local custody and 20 months on mandatory supervision, including 200 hours of community service. He apologized to the victim’s family for his role in the crash at his sentencing and promised to make up for it by actively carrying out his community service.
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