A Virginia Beach man who pled guilty to several counts related to driving while intoxicated following the April 2009 death of a pedestrian has been sentenced to nearly five years in prison. Twenty-six-year-old Brandon Meck testified that he had no recollection of the incident that lead to the death of fifty-seven-year-old David Lucas at the intersection of Virginia Beach Boulevard and North Great Neck Road last year.
Meck said he recalled consuming an alcoholic energy drink and splitting a pitcher of beer during a game of pool with friends at a Virginia Beach bar on the evening of April 23rd, 2009. He also recounted being pulled from his vehicle, a Nissan Xterra, following the fatal incident. But at his sentencing in Circuit Court on November 30th, Meck was unable to describe the events leading up to or the accident in which Lucas was struck and killed.
Meck's Virginia DUI lawyer described the fatal collision as a "terrible mistake," but not a pattern of behavior for his client:
"I'm asking you to look at the big picture. Mr. Meck is a good kid. He made a terrible mistake."
Deputy Commonwealth's Attorney Patrick Connolly said Lucas' family did not want to see the young man in prison for the remainder of his life, but acknowledged the gravity of the consequences of Meck's actions:
"The victim is gone. A father is gone. A brother. Due to this man's actions. We can't just forget those things," Connolly said.
Meck is said to have had a blood alcohol level of 0.20, twice Virginia's legal limit for a DUI. At a hearing in July of 2010, Meck pled guilty to aggravated manslaughter, drunken driving and eluding police. He was sentenced by Judge Frederick Lowe to four and a half years in prison under the terms of a plea agreement, the maximum allowable by law.
Prior to his sentencing, Meck expressed remorse in court:
"I'm sorry to my family and to Mr. Lucas family. I wish this never happened."
This article is presented by Price Benowitz LLP, serving Virginia, Maryland and Washington DC. For more information, please visit our Maryland DUI Lawyer, Washington DC DUI Attorney and Virginia personal injury websites.
