Man who took sleeping pills before driving gets prison in pedestrian death
A 34-year-old man was sentenced to 3 1/2 to 10 years in prison for killing a woman while driving intoxicated on sleeping pills.
Jason Manuma was sentenced Tuesday for the February 2013 crash near Valley View Boulevard and Sahara Avenue that killed 52-year-old Brenda Kay Smiley.
According to witness reports, Smiley and a second victim, Eduardo Planton-Sanchez, were hit by a 2006 Nissan Titan while walking on a sidewalk along Valley View Boulevard about 5 p.m.
Police said Manuma, 33, was driving the Titan eastbound on Sahara when he made a sudden right turn and drove into oncoming traffic. He continued onto the sidewalk, where he hit Smiley and Planton-Sanchez, who survived the crash.
Prosecutors said he had taken sleeping pills that were not prescribed to him. At the time of the crash, Manuma thought he was on his way to pick up his kids from school, though it was a Sunday night, prosecutor Bruce Nelson said.
At the hearing, Manuma apologized for what he’d done.
Nelson said afterwards that the case was great example of why people should not take prescription drugs that were not prescribed to them.
Contact reporter Francis McCabe at fmccabe@review journal.com or 702-380-1039.
