Tuesday, April 29th, was the sentencing of Brian Vance. Brian Vance was responsible for the vehicular homicide of two young girls, Amanda Pille, and Rachael Reed. Rachael Reed was my best friend's older sister.
On July 7th, 2007, Brian Vance peeled through a stop sign at high speeds, disreguarding the fact that the truck 90 degrees to his right, didn't have a stop sign. The truck crashed into the right side of Brian's car; Amanda flew through the windshield, and Rachael was killed on impact.
Brian was sentenced to five years in prison [the maximum was ten], 25 years of license suspension, and three years of probation after he is released.
Now...I never met Rachael. But I see her every time I'm with my best friend. I always hear stories about her, and her parents always say "Rachael would've liked her" when I walk into their home. Even though she is gone, she is such a huge part of their lives, and she always will be. Kind of a duh, right? But I never imagined that someone I never knew...will never have the chance to meet..would be such a big part of MY life. But she is. I see those pictures on the wall in their home all the time; they're engraved in my mind.
I know his sentencing doesn't seem fair, and it really isn't. But Brian has to live with the guilt of killing his girlfriend, and her best friend, every day. We could sit here debating what could have been done differently concerning this trial, but would it make any difference? It isn't fair..but all this has shown me, is that no matter what we do, killing is killing. I really am against the death penalty; I hate to think that this is what it took for me to realize that.
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What an awaful situation that you, and sadly many others, have to deal with. So preventable, yet happens almost everyday. Why do people take such risks with something so important and fragile? Did he say in court?