Man gets 8- to 20-year sentence in 2013 New Year’s Day DUI crash
A 20-year-old man was sentenced Monday to 8- to 20-years in prison for a Jan. 1, 2013, DUI crash that killed an 18-year-old man.
Cristian Ivan Diaz pleaded guilty earlier this year to two DUI charges for the death of Jesse Hill and for injuring Hill’s 16-year-old girlfriend. Diaz was found to have marijuana in his system.
District Judge Jerry Tao sentenced him to the prison term .
Hill and his girlfriend were struck about 4 p.m. on New Year’s Day 2013 while walking along Gliding Eagle Road near Black Oaks Street, North Las Vegas police said.
Police said Diaz lost control of a 2002 Acura Coupe and struck the two teens, who were walking on the sidewalk.
Diaz’ lawyer, Jason Weiner, said his client accepted responsibility from the very beginning.
“He felt horrible about this from day one,” Weiner said.
Diaz tried to kill himself by cutting his wrist the day he was arrested, Weiner said.
During a tearful sentencing hearing, Hill’s family asked for the maximum sentence of 16- to 40-years in prison.
Weiner asked for about 4 1/2 years in prison.
Contact reporter Francis McCabe at fmccabe@review journal.com or 702-380-1039.
