Teofilo Garcia Uribe, a man from Kent, Washington, has been sentenced to nearly a decade in prison for causing a fatal car accident in January. Uribe hit a woman’s vehicle, causing it to burst into flames and resulting in her death. He pleaded guilty to vehicular homicide by reckless driving and was sentenced to nine years and two months in prison, with a year and a half of probation. The hit-and-run charge was dropped as part of the recommended sentence. Uribe’s standard range for his conviction was between eight years and 10 1/2 years. Denver Pratt reported
A man from Kent, Washington, has been sentenced to nearly ten years in prison for causing a fatal accident in January. Teofilo Garcia Uribe, 37, pleaded guilty to vehicular homicide resulting from reckless driving. The incident occurred on January 6, when Uribe collided with a vehicle driven by Tarria K. Conger, 49, in Bellingham. The impact caused Conger’s car to burst into flames, resulting in her death. Uribe was initially charged with vehicular homicide and hit-and-run of a fatality accident, but the hit-and-run charge was dropped as part of a recommended sentence. The prosecutor and Uribe’s defense attorney agreed on a sentence of 110 months in prison, which was accepted by the judge. Despite the accident not being intentional, the judge emphasized the level of recklessness involved, leading to the death of another person. As part of his sentence, Uribe will not be allowed to consume alcohol, and his driver’s license will be revoked for two years after his release. Uribe expressed remorse for his actions and accepted responsibility quickly, which the judge acknowledged. The incident was captured on city traffic cameras, showing Uribe driving at a high speed before rear-ending Conger’s car, pushing it over 100 yards and causing it to catch fire. Uribe continued to push the burning car until he left the scene. He was later identified as the driver through witness testimony and arrested. In a presentence report, Uribe’s defense attorney explained his difficult upbringing and involvement with gangs from a young age. However, since relocating to Washington and finding employment, Uribe was described as a changed person by his family. He deeply regrets the pain he caused Conger’s family and will live with the memory of the accident for the rest of his life..