Drunk driver is sentenced in fatal crash

A Las Vegas man was sentenced Wednesday in connection with a drunken driving crash that killed a motorcyclist on U.S. Highway 95 near Casino Center Boulevard about a year ago.

John Prins III, 41, pleaded guilty in August to driving under the influence of alcohol causing death and leaving the scene of an accident. He was sentenced by District Judge Doug Smith to 12 years in prison. He could be eligible for parole in five years.

Prins was driving a vehicle on Oct. 7, 2007, that struck a motorcycle ridden by Kevin James Sr., 47, of Las Vegas. Prins fled and James was struck by other vehicles. He died at the scene.

Prins offered a brief apology to the family before he was sentenced, prosecutor Bruce Nelson said.

James' widow, Alice James said afterward that the sentence had brought some closure to her and her family.

"He was my backbone. Now I'm by myself. This has caused a lot of grief in my life. October 7 changed me and my sons' life tremendously," she said.