A person who fatally struck a 75-year-old bicyclist in Solana Seashore final yr whereas driving drunk, then fled the scene, was sentenced Tuesday to 9 years in state jail.
Lucas Beau Morgans, 22, pleaded guilty earlier this year to gross vehicular manslaughter whereas intoxicated and different costs for fatally hanging Allen Hunter II on June 22, 2021.
Hunter was struck from behind round 10:30 a.m. whereas driving within the bike lane on Freeway 101. Deputy District Lawyer David Jarman alleged the sufferer was dragged about 86 ft by Morgans’ car after the affect.
Hunter was taken to Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla, the place he died that night.
Morgans, who the prosecutor mentioned had a blood-alcohol content material of 0.169% about 90 minutes after the crash, was arrested later that day.
Morgans’ lawyer, Michael Harkness, requested Superior Courtroom Decide James Simmons for one yr in jail, plus probation. The protection lawyer mentioned it was an uncommon case that warranted probation as a result of his consumer had suffered a traumatic mind damage and different illnesses that gave him “the thoughts of a a lot youthful man, a baby to some extent.”
Harkness mentioned his consumer had been ingesting the night time earlier than and was woken up by his father on the morning of the crash as a result of he was late for a physician’s appointment. The lawyer alleged Morgans obtained behind the wheel with out totally realizing he was nonetheless intoxicated.
He additionally disagreed with the illustration that he fled the scene with out regard for Hunter. Harkness mentioned he tried to name his mom from the scene, however couldn’t attain her and wasn’t certain what to do.
He noticed others have been attending to Hunter, then drove residence and reported the crash to police about half an hour later, Harkness mentioned.
“He was a 21-year-old who was scared to demise over what had simply occurred,” Harkness informed the choose.
However Simmons mentioned numerous elements led him to search out {that a} jail time period was extra acceptable, together with that Morgans had lied to police by saying Hunter swerved into his lane.
Amongst those that spoke on behalf of Hunter have been his son, Allen Hunter III, who informed Morgans his father’s life was “gone since you couldn’t take an Uber.”
Rodney Stubbs was driving subsequent to Hunter on the day of the crash when “hastily, he disappeared.”
Stubbs mentioned he and others pulled Hunter from beneath the car, then watched it drive away.
“It may’ve been me,” mentioned Stubbs, who informed the choose that he was additionally talking on behalf of the native bicycling neighborhood, which he mentioned was “up in arms” over the crash.
