Driver in Ore. sand rail crash gets 2 1/2 years

Written by Associated Press

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

TILLAMOOK, Ore. -- The driver in an off-road vehicle crash that killed two people and seriously injured two others has been sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison and will lose his driver's license for eight years.

Tillamook County Circuit Court Judge Rick Roll on Tuesday sentenced David Rieman of Yacolt, Wash. Rieman earlier pleaded guilty to criminally negligent homicide, assault and drunken driving.

Rieman was driving an off-road vehicle known as a sand rail when it collided with another sand rail at the Sand Lake Dunes Recreation Area near Pacific City in September 2008.

Killed were 56-year-old David Leach of Hillsboro and 19-year-old Chiara Aker of Aloha.

The prosecutor says Rieman's blood alcohol content was 0.27, more than three times Oregon's legal intoxication threshold of 0.08.

The sentence was less than half what Deputy District Attorney Kayla Long requested. But Roll noted Rieman had pleaded guilty and has made significant efforts to provide financial compensation to the victims.

Source: http://www.seattlepi.com/local/6420ap_or_sand_rail_deaths.html

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“Once they chased our cow into a deep arroyo where it fell and broke its neck. I don't understand how anyone could think chasing livestock is fun.” As a result of the growing conflicts with off-roaders, the Gonzales family stopped their cattle ranching. It doesn't matter whether it is a plate or decal, what is important is that the identification is visible. The police could have tracked down the illegal riders if we had been able to photograph the IDs on their vehicles. I think that would have made them think twice before breaking the law.”

- Eleanor Gonzales, private property owner in Santé Fe County, NM