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Driver Who Killed Bicyclist Jailed for Three Years
Photo by R. E. ~ via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr
A Riverside woman who killed a bicyclist in 2009 after a hit-and-run has been sentenced to three years in prison, reports the OC Register. Patricia Ann Izquieta, 38, was reportedly under the influence of several prescription medications, including methadone and clonazepam, when she struck Donald Murphy, 49, from behind as he rode his bike in Newport Beach. Murphy was knocked off his bicycle, and Izquieta continued to drive, dragged the bike along under her car for a mile before stopping at a nearby restaurant.
Murphy had no pulse when he was taken from the scene to the hospital, where he died the following day due to head and neck injuries.
According to The OC Register, the court heard victim-impact statements from friends and family members of Murphy's, including this from his daughter:
"I am sad that my day will not get to see me graduate from college this year, get married, get a job and have children," said daughter Chandler Murphy, 21. "I know he is in a better place, but call me selfish, I am still a little girl that wants her daddy in her life."
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