SURREY 鈥� A sentence of just over three years in prison has been handed to a woman who pleaded guilty for the drunk-driving crash that killed a promising 22-year-old softball player in Surrey.
A provincial court judge in Surrey sentenced Natasha Warren to 37 months behind bars for the collision that took the life of Kassandra Kaulius in May 2011.
Warren had been drinking heavily before she got behind the wheel of a vehicle that rammed Kaulius鈥檚 car in an intersection, killing the woman instantly.
The court heard earlier that Warren鈥檚 van was going more than 100 kilometres an hour when the vehicle hit the driver鈥檚 side of the young woman鈥檚 vehicle.
Warren ran from the scene after the crash, but was found shortly thereafter in a wooded area nearby. (She was arrested wearing a Vancouver Canucks hockey jersey.)
The judge sentenced Warren to 34 months in prison for dangerous and impaired driving causing death and an additional three-month sentence for leaving the scene of the crash.
Warren was also stripped her of her driver鈥檚 licence for eight years.
Kassandra鈥檚 mother, Markita Kaulius, told reporters after the sentencing there should be a five-year minimum sentence for such crimes.
鈥淪he will serve what we feel is very little jail time for taking the life of an innocent young woman. It often seems the justice system continues to fail the victim and their families in refusing to properly sentence offenders to a stronger sentence.鈥�
Kaulius said the death has changed their lives forever.
鈥淲e don鈥檛 get our daughter back,鈥� she said. 鈥淢s. Warren will do a little bit of time for the crime she committed. We will do a life sentence.鈥�
Warren told the court in an earlier hearing that she would change places with Kassandra Kaulius if she could.
Her lawyer, Mark Cacchioni, said his client is very remorseful.
鈥淚鈥檝e never had a man or woman as a criminal client who has ever, almost looked forward to the prospect of serving a lengthy jail sentence, to do a genuine atonement, perhaps in the religious sense, for what she has caused.鈥�
