http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/294 ... ing05.html

Tuesday, December 5, 2006

Illegal immigrant sentenced to 5 years for fatal crash

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

YAKIMA -- An illegal immigrant with a history of drug arrests has been sentenced to five years and a month behind bars for the traffic death of a popular community college educator.

The prison term for Marcos Ramos Medina, 35, a twice-deported Mexican national who most recently lived in Portland, was the maximum under state guidelines for vehicular homicide. His criminal record in Portland included possession of cocaine and the sale of heroin for profit, and he also had a federal firearms conviction.

Medina was convicted last month of being high on methamphetamine when his car crossed the center line on U.S. 95 near Satus Pass on Aug. 4, 2005, and collided nearly head-on with a 2000 Lexus driven by Peggy Keller, 53, a radiology expert and dean of distance education and technical services at Yakima Valley Community College.

Defense lawyer Jeff West said the verdict would be appealed.

During the trial he argued that Medina acted with recklessness or negligence, which would be treated less severely, rather than driving while impaired, which is grounds for a vehicular homicide conviction.

Speaking through an interpreter Friday, Medina asked for forgiveness from those in Yakima County Superior Court.