Kristy Pidwell, whose uncle Brad Pidwell was killed in a traffic collision caused by William Copsey, cries Monday during a sentencing hearing for Copsey and Christian Jordan. Photo by John Gurzinski.

Seventeen-year-old William Copsey stood before Clark County Juvenile Court Judge William Voy on Monday and wept over the tragic few seconds he can never take back.

On Dec. 13, Copsey was driving about 60 mph on a residential street while distracted by his two passengers. Copsey said he glanced down at a CD case, and when he looked up he was running a stop sign. He then collided with a flatbed truck, killing the truck's driver, 34-year-old Brad Pidwell.

"I feel terrible," Copsey choked out Monday in court, tears streaming down his face. "I think about it every day and every night."

Copsey and Christian Jordan, both Bonanza High School juniors, were arrested by police after the accident. Police said the collision happened while the two teens were street racing. They've been held at the Clark County Juvenile Detention Center since then. Attorneys for both defendants denied that racing was involved. The case will not go to trial since both juveniles struck plea agreements with the district attorney's office.

"We're in a tough position today," prosecutor Pandora Ahlstrom told Voy. "Our duty is justice, not retribution."

Restitution in this case isn't a question, Ahlstrom continued -- no one has the power to restore a life. Ahlstrom said that while she wasn't asking Voy to make scapegoats of the juveniles, it was clear that there was no excuse for Copsey to have been driving so recklessly. She also pointed out that Oakey Boulevard's intersection with Cimarron Road, where the crash took place, is a stretch of road notorious for speeders.

The victim's sister, Cappi Pidwell, read Voy a letter from her mother, who continues to grieve the loss of the youngest of the family's six children.

"I'm begging you, your honor, to please prosecute them to the fullest that the law will extend," Cappi Pidwell read while openly crying. " I'm sure if the parents of these young men were in my shoes, they'd want the same for the son that they love. I just want them to be accountable for the actions they took that day. Brad's gone. That's all we can hope for."

Attorneys for the defendants asked Voy to consider that neither of the two teens had a prior criminal record, both had good school attendance records, were involved in school activities and have supportive families. Neither boy fits the profile of most youths whose lives intersect with juvenile court, they said.

Voy wrestled with the emotional testimony, the background of the teens and the penalties that were available to him under the law. After a brief recess, Voy returned to the bench and said he had been dreading sentencing day in this case because he knew it would be difficult.

He then committed Copsey to the Spring Mountain Youth Camp for six months as the penalty for reckless driving resulting in the death of another person. Copsey's family is to pay $300 a month for upkeep while the teen is held there.

Jordan was sentenced to house arrest until further notice for leaving the scene of an accident. Although Jordan, 17, did stop briefly after the crash occurred, he left before police arrived and took one of Copsey's passengers with him. Jordan and his parents later called police to report his involvement.

Both juveniles also were ordered to serve 1,000 hours of community service and will be on probation until they are 21. Both Copsey and Jordan had their driver's licenses revoked and will not be eligible to regain them until they are 21.

In addition, Voy ordered Jordan to purchase a bicycle and use it to travel to and from school now that he's without a license. If he's asked why he's using the bike, Voy told Jordan he was to explain it in full.

Afterward, Cappi Pidwell said, "I don't think the punishment fits the crime. ... Unfortunately, with the system we have, that's all that can be done."

She said she doesn't hate either boy and was grateful for the condolences offered by the families of the defendants. But that doesn't change the fact that "they took a life."

At the beginning of the case, District Attorney David Roger considered trying Copsey and Jordan as adults but decided against it. During Monday's hearing, Voy said that it's likely that had that happened, both teens would have been released on bail, gone through a lengthy trial and been given probation since they're both first-time offenders.

Pidwell believes that the accident highlights the need for Nevada to reconsider the legal driving age. She thinks it ought to be raised to 18, an age when individuals might have a better understanding of all the responsibilities that go with a license.