Today's Most Popular Video
Oct 8, 2008 5:46 pm US/Central
12 Years In Prison For Van Driver In Bus Crash
MARSHALL, Minn. (WCCO) ―
-
-
Olga Marina Franco del Cid, 24, was convicted in August of four counts of criminal vehicular homicide for driving a minivan that ran a stop and hit a Lakeview School bus near Cottonwood, Minn. on Feb. 19. (File)
CBS
A woman convicted in a crash with a school bus that killed four students in southwestern Minnesota was sentenced Wednesday to more than 12 years in prison.
Olga Marina Franco del Cid, 24, was convicted in August of four counts of criminal vehicular homicide for driving a minivan that ran a stop and hit a Lakeview School bus near Cottonwood, Minn. on Feb. 19.
A judge read Franco's sentence of 150 months in prison after a hearing that lasted more than two hours.
The crash killed four Lakeview School students: Jesse Javens, 13; his brother, Hunter Javens, 9; Emilee Olson, 9; and Reed Stevens, 12.
Lyon County Attorney Rick Maes said he had hoped for a tougher sentence, and acknowledged the case affected him on a personal level because he has five children who regularly ride a school bus.
"This is a very horrific incident that occurred and is something that didn't need to occur," he said. He noted that with good behavior, Franco's prison time could be reduced to eight years and four months.
Each of the families spoke in court Wednesday morning.
In court, Reed Stevens' mother expressed her feelings, saying, "You will never ever know the hell I feel as a parent ... How do we, as parents, get over the loss of a child? It's like being a recovering alcoholic. We will always be recovering mourners."
Emilee Olsen's mother talked about the "I love yous" she'll never hear again.
"She had hopes and dreams of what her future was going to be," Emilee's mother said. "No where in her dreams did she talk about being killed on a school bus. Our family now has a huge hole in it."
Rita Javens, the mother of brothers Jesse and Hunter, read her victim impact statement, saying in part, "their family will never stop grieving."
"No law or punishment for Olga can ever undo the damage we have suffered. It demands justice," Rita Javens said.
"Franco's sentence will end," Lyon County District Judge David Peterson said. "For those parents dealing with injuries, it's a daily struggle. For the parents dealing with lost children, it's a lifetime of could-have-beens and might-have-beens that never will be."
An interpreter read a statement by Franco, who asked for forgiveness for using someone else's ID. She also asked for forgiveness for the crash, but still denied being the driver.
"It wasn't our intention to hurt anyone, or cause such loss to you. With all my heart, I ask for forgiveness from the parents of the kids who died," read the interpreter.
Franco, an immigrant from Guatemala, testified earlier that her boyfriend, Francisco S. Mendoza, was actually driving and fled the scene. Defense attorneys claimed he was believed to now be in his native Mexico.
Franco's attorney, Manuel Guerrero of St. Paul, said he plans to appeal her conviction and didn't agree with her sentence.
"I don't think it was fair," he said. "I think it was excessive. It didn't fit the crime."
He argued that, even though she's in the U.S. illegally, the court can not consider that during her sentencing.
"I know people want to blame her for what happened and want revenge, but that's not our system of justice," her attorney argued.
(© 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
Man Recalls Night Friend Was Shot By Cop
Click to enlarge
Stumble It!
