TALLAHASSEE, FL : woman going to prison in fatal auto crash on April, Monday 10th 2017
The grandmother of a 22-year-old killed in a traffic crash told a judge Monday that his loss is a harrowing reminder that God doesn’t discriminate based on youth.
Her voice unraveled into tears as she described how the death of Nicholas Capalingo devastated his family.
“I still look at the door waiting for him to come in,” Sandra Baker said in court.
“Did Nicholas make bad choices in his life? Yes,” the grandmother said. “But he didn’t deserve to die.”
“I cannot express how much he’s missed and how much he’s loved,” she said.
She finished with a message aimed at other young adults: “I just hope the younger generation learns from this ... You pay the consequences of your choices, and unfortunately, my grandson got into that car and he ... paid the price.”
Baker spoke prior to the sentencing hearing for the 22-year-old driver.
Alaine E. Medina, of 3020 Ninth St. SW, pleaded guilty to aggravated vehicular homicide, operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol, a drug of abuse or a combination of them and other felonies. All charges stem from a Sept. 15 crash in the 2600 block of Cleveland Avenue SW in Canton Township that killed Capalingo, of Massillon.
Medina and four others in the SUV were seriously injured, according to the Stark County Prosecutor’s Office. Injuries included spinal fractures and broken ribs; surgery was required for some, according to court records. Medina was driving with a suspended license, records said.
The crash occurred about 9:45 p.m when the SUV hit a 10-foot sign pole, rolled over, struck a home and landed on its roof, according to investigators. All of those inside the vehicle were around 20 to 22 years old.
Monday’s hearing in Stark County Common Pleas Court was emotionally tense. While tearfully apologizing for her actions, Medina’s voice shook.
Earlier at the proceeding, Kim Messenheimer, Capalingo’s aunt, said she was speaking on behalf of the victim’s mother, who lives in Florida. “She is devastated,” Messenheimer said. “... She is very dissatisfied and hurt by the sentence.”
But Messenheimer said that Capalingo’s mother also told her that “we need to emphasize how much we love Nicholas.”
‘Moral guilt’
Judge Kristin Farmer said that “no amount of prison time will ever bring the victim back.” In addition to serving time behind bars, the defendant will live “with the moral guilt for taking the life of one of your friends” because Medina decided to drink alcohol and drive.
Medina was indicted by a grand jury of around 20 charges; she also pleaded guilty to vehicular homicide and multiple counts of aggravated vehicular assault and vehicular assault. Several of the counts were merged for sentencing purposes.
Attorney Eugene O’Byrne represented Medina. “The whole thing is tragic,” he said during the hearing. The defendant wept as he spoke.
“It’s a tough case all the way around,” O’Byrne said, referring to his client’s actions as a “mistake.”
He noted that Medina will not see her children for the six years she’s imprisoned. During the proceeding, some of Medina’s family and supporters could be heard crying. Following the hearing, one of them expressed their love for the defendant as she was led out of court by sheriff’s deputies.
Following the hearing, Toni Schnellinger, an assistant Stark County prosecutor, echoed the sentiments of Capalingo’s grandmother and said the case is a “reminder that young adults are not as immortal as they think they are.”
Added Schnellinger: “In this day and age, with designated drivers and Uber, this shouldn’t be happening.”
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woman going to prison in fatal auto crash