NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — A 20-year-old man was sentenced to seven years in prison after he fatally struck a man on I-64 in Norfolk while driving drunk.
Judge Mary Jane Hall on Friday sentenced Juan Franklin Ramirez-Urrea, 20, to seven active years in prison, after he pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter from driving under the influence, and DUI, back in October, per a release from the Norfolk Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office.
Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Melinda F. Seemar prosecuted the case.
“Drunk drivers kill people and put themselves in prison,” said Commonwealth’s Attorney Ramin Fatehi. “Drunk driving is a crime, and it is totally preventable. Do not drink and drive. Protect the people around you. Drink responsibly. Use designated drivers, taxis, and ride shares. Do not kill someone over a night out. You cannot undo these crimes, and the people who pay the heaviest price are the people you kill.”
The crash happened back in February and took the life of 23-year-old Dontae Barlow, who was changing a tire on the shoulder of I-64 near the Norview Avenue exit.
Prosecutors say Ramirez-Urrea told officers he had been drinking in Virginia Beach before driving.