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SALT LAKE CITY — A West Valley woman who hit and killed a man while driving drunk was sent to prison Wednesday and ordered to serve a term of one to 15 years.
Andrea Lane Miller, 41, was charged with running a red light while under the influence of alcohol, causing a fatal crash in Taylorsville on Dec. 30, 2019. According to charging documents, Miller hit the driver's side door of the other vehicle and a blood-alcohol test showed that she had a level of 0.12%.
Ryan Muhlestein, 25, was driving with his fiancé, Carlos A. Fregoso-Medina. Muhlestein died at the scene and his fiancé was critically injured and required surgery, according to charging documents.
There was no restitution ordered as part of the criminal matter, according to Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill, because the family filed a civil lawsuit and restitution will be determined through that lawsuit.
Muhlestein's parents and fiancé spoke at the sentencing hearing, Gill said. Letters from other family members were also submitted to communicate their loss to the judge.
"Ryan was passionate about life, especially about learning, dancing, Harry Potter, and anything beautiful. Ryan created sublime poetry, had an amazing vocabulary, and was an excellent ballroom dancer. Ryan's goals were to always be learning, and to be an author and an editor someday," the family said in a civil lawsuit filed against Miller.
Gill said that the sentence Miller received is the maximum sentence for the lead charge against her. Miller pleaded guilty to automobile homicide, a second-degree felony, as part of a plea bargain. In exchange for her plea, charges of DUI and carrying a dangerous weapon while under the influence were dismissed.
"One of the things that makes auto homicide, especially DUI-related homicide, so concerning for our community … is the randomness with which it can cause that injury. That is not only felt by the immediate loss of life to the family members, but also the risk that it puts to the rest of our community as well," Gill said.
Correction: A previous version mentioned the wrong name for Carlos A. Fregoso-Medina, which was taken from police reports.
