A 22-year-old woman was sentenced to three years in prison and five years probation Monday for killing her friend in a drunken driving crash.
Pima County Superior Court Judge Deborah Bernini gave Josephine Wilson the least amount of time she could have under her plea agreement. Wilson could have received as many as 21.25 years in prison.
Wilson pleaded guilty to manslaughter, aggravated assault and misdemeanor driving under the influence in Kimberly Encinas’ death.
Wilson was driving a pickup on West Bilby Road near South Camino de la Tierra when she lost control at about 2 a.m. April 24, 2008, and the truck rolled, according to Pima County sheriff's officials. Encinas, a passenger, was killed, and another passenger was hurt.
Deputy Pima County Attorney Bruce Chalk had asked Bernini to give Wilson more than the three years, noting she was caught drinking alcohol while awaiting the disposition of her case. It wasn’t the death of her friend that caused Wilson to get treatment and begin attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, it was being caught by a pretrial service case manager, Chalk said.
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Wilson told Bernini she wishes she could go back in time to change what happened that morning and Encinas’ death is something she’ll have to live with the rest of her life.
She hopes to teach people about the risks of drinking and driving and to one day donate her organs so that she “can give back a life.”
Wilson will serve her probation sentence after she’s released from prison.
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