BREVARD COUNTY, FL : Woman given 10 years in prison for Cocoa Beach hit-and-run on Sunday, January 22nd 2017

A Brevard County woman was sentenced to 10 years in prison after a hit-and-run injured a boy in Cocoa Beach a year ago.

Relatives of Thomas Gregory, 12, who was critically injured in the New Year's Eve crash, told Channel 9 they thought the sentence was fair.

Michelle Simkins offered an apology to Thomas and his family, but the boy's relatives felt it was only because the reality of her situation had set in.

“I want to say I’m sorry to everybody that was affected by this,” Simkins said.There are a lot) of times that I think about her and how she must be feeling and I think the reality of all of this has finally hit her,” Thomas’s mother Amy Gregory said.

Thomas was playing with friends when he was struck by the vehicle Simkins was driving. Witnesses said that she accelerated instead of stopping, causing more harm to him.

Thomas suffered two broken legs, a bruised lung and kidney damage, all of which he is still in recovery from.

“I’m not full strength, but I’m running faster, jumping higher (and) getting better,” Thomas said.

Simkins told police she was high when she hit Thomas.

“It hurts me to know that she’s going to be gone and that her daughter is not going to have her around for a while, but on the other, this is going to be the best thing for her,” Amy Gregory said. “The next option was picking her out in the morgue and I didn’t want it to get to that point.”

Simkins has two outstanding cases related to fleeing and eluding. Those arrests happened while she was out on bail for the hit-and-run.

Those cases are expected to be resolved next week.

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Woman given 10 years in prison for Cocoa Beach hit-and-run