BOISE, Idaho — A Meridian man, 29-year-old Cole Culcas, was sentenced to up to 15 years in prison on Monday, Nov. 6 for hitting a woman with his car while under the influence and killing her.
"This was so preventable, so unnecessary. It is the very thing we fear with this kind of offense. What has happened here is the absolute worst-case scenario," said Judge Cawthon during the sentencing hearing. "There would be no need for justice if it weren't for the injustice at the inception of this crime."
He was sentenced by Ada County District Judge James Cawthon. Culcas has five years fixed before he can become eligible for parole and his license is suspended for 15 years.
Culcas hit a 54-year-old woman who was taking a walk on Sept. 29, 2022. After the crash police found an empty vodka bottle, marijuana paraphernalia and his blood level was over twice the legal limit. The woman eventually died from her injuries five days later in the hospital.
"This crime was senseless and preventable," said Ada County Prosecutor Jan Bennetts. "On behalf of my office, we extend our condolences to the victim's family for their immeasurable loss. Thank you to the Ada County Sheriff's Office for their hard work on this investigation and to my team for their efforts in this case to ensure justice was served."
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