Motorcyclist sentenced in crash killing Salinas teen

UPDATE 7/5/2017 3:40 p.m.:

An Oregon man, convicted of hitting a killing a 17 year old Salinas girl in a crosswalk learned his fate on Wednesday. Andrew Bennett, 30, was sentenced to a maximum of six years in prison for felony vehicular manslaughter. Family members of Gabriela “Gabby” Beas say justice was not served, because the punishment does not fit the crime.

Beas and her cousin were crossing North Main Street at Harden Parkway in Salinas on October 25, 2016. Authorities say Bennett was speeding on a Suzuki motorcycle when he ran a red light and crashed into Beas. Witnesses reported he was going as fast as 90 miles an hour. Beas suffered broken bones and a head injury, later dying at Natividad Medical Center.

In June, Bennett pleaded no contest to the charge. Authorities said he was no stranger to the law, having been convicted of seven traffic violations in less than a year while in Oregon, along serving time behind bars for domestic violence.

During sentencing Wednesday, family members could be heard crying during emotional testimony, explaining the loss their family felt. Beas’ father told Bennett he had destroyed his family. Her cousin is still haunted by the crash.

“Every night I’ll sleep and I’ll start dreaming (about) it,” Greg Guzman said.

Bennett also addressed the family. In a soft-spoken voice, he told them how he never meant for any of this to happen.

“I’m very grateful to have the opportunity to stand here and face you like a man and tell you how very sorry I am for what I’ve caused your family,” Bennett said. “I wish that if anybody had lost their life that day, it would’ve been me, not you because it’s not fair and I never wished to take anybody’s life and I wish I could change places with her. So, I’m very sorry. I know that may not mean anything to you but I’ll always keep your family in my prayers, because I understand, I can see it. I know what I’m going to get isn’t enough but I’m very sorry.”

Still, he was handed the maximum penalty of six years in prison. A sentence that the judge, the family and Bennett himself, felt was too light.

“If I could, I would easily and in a heartbeat double your sentence, I would triple your sentence, and I think you would accept that,” Superior Court Judge Andrew G. Liu told Bennett.

Montana Musso, a prosecutor in the case, acknowledged that Beas’ life was worth more than a six year sentence, but they are limited by what the law says.

Family members want to change that, saying the penalties are too week for this type of crime. They hope to lobby local lawmakers to stiffen punishments.

Regardless of whatever may come of that, it doesn’t take away the sting of losing someone so young.

“It’s a hard thing that we’re going to deal with for the rest of our lives,” Gabby’s father Joel Beas said. “I feel that my family are the ones that have gotten the life sentence.”

“I love her and I’m never going to forget her,” said Gabby’s mother Isabel Beas through her tears.

ORIGINAL POST:

The man charged in the death of 17-year-old Gabriela Beas in a motorcycle crash in Salinas, has been sentenced to six years without parole.

In court Wednesday, family members of Beas exchanged words with Andrew Bennett.

Beas cousin said, “Gabby was a sweet, innocent girl… She was the best cousin and we grew up together… Gabby had a bright future ahead of her and told me how she wanted to go to Oregon to study to be a surgeon.”

Gabby’s father said, “You destroyed my family. I will never forgive you, man. I don’t understand why this happened to us.”

The crash happened in October 2016 at the intersection of North Main Street and Harden Parkway. Witnesses said Bennett was going 90 miles per hour when he drove through a red light and struck the teen.

Bennett had pleaded not guilty to several charges including vehicular manslaughter, reckless driving, hit-and-run and driving without a license or insurance.

KION’s Mariana Hicks will have the full story at 6 p.m.