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CALDWELL, Idaho (AP) — An Idaho driver who fled the scene after striking a man and his two daughters as they were walking — killing the father — was sentenced Monday to serve up to one year in a "rider" prison rehabilitation program.
Tristian Donovan Myers, 20, pleaded guilty in March to one count of felony leaving the scene and one count of misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter.
Last October, officers responded to an anonymous phone call — later traced back to Myers — about an injured pedestrian. Police found Leslie Nassar, a 43-year-old Australian tech guru, in a gutter with injuries to his upper torso and head. The father of three was taken to the hospital and later pronounced dead. Two of his daughters were also injured but survived.
Nassar was a much-loved Australian social media satirist and tech pioneer, according to Australian newspaper The Sydney Morning Herald.
Nassar's oldest daughter, who was 11 when the incident occurred, told the court the last time she saw her father was when he watched her get on a bus to attend her first wrestling match the morning of the crash.
"He said he loved me and would see me later, and then he turned and walked away," she read from a statement. "And now he'll never get to teach me to animate, I'll never sit next to him to play video games or eat out. I miss him and the dog, bear hugs, and his always being there."
Police said Myers admitted to drinking two 12-ounce cans of beer that morning, but said he didn't feel intoxicated when the crash occurred.
When asked to speak, Myers apologized to the court and said he "feels a deep loss" over the incident and though it was "very tragic and sad, it cannot be taken back."
If Myers disobeys program orders, he could serve a full five-year sentence, the Idaho Press-Tribune reported (http://bit.ly/2qX0YQx ).
Myers' attorney James Vavrek said there exists a "great misconception" about Myers, who will carry the burden of Nassar's death for the rest of his life.
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Information from: Idaho Press-Tribune, http://www.idahopress.com
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