Driver Who Caused Fatal Collision In 2020 Gets Prison Sentence
One of the principles of law in the United States is that no one should be unfairly punished; penalties should not be disproportionate to the crimes, such as the incident in the beginning of the novel Les Miserables, where a man in early 19th century France receives a years-long prison sentence for stealing a loaf of bread to feed his hungry family. Likewise, people accused of crimes are entitled to due process of law, which means that you cannot get a prison sentence or other criminal penalty unless you freely and honestly admit your guilt or unless a jury finds you guilty at the conclusion of a fair trial. Therefore, the time between an arrest or indictment and the beginning of the convicted defendant’s prison sentence can be several years. Meanwhile, people harmed by the crime, whether in the form of physical injuries, financial losses, or both, have the right to seek compensation by filing lawsuits against the defendant in civil court. If your civil case goes to trial, you must wait until the criminal case resolves before the civil court issues a ruling, because the outcome of the criminal case affects the court’s decision in your personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit. Meanwhile, many personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits settle without going to trial; this can happen even while the related criminal case is pending. If you got injured in a car accident involving such negligence that the driver received criminal charges for it, contact a Columbia car accident lawyer.
At Fault Driver Was Fleeing From Police When He Struck Victim’s Car
In December 2025, a court in South Carolina sentenced Esteban Javier Rosa-Mendez to 20 years in prison for vehicular homicide and related charges. In 2020, Rosa-Mendez was driving on Hilton Head Island with several passengers in the car, when a police cruiser flashed its blue lights, signaling for him to pull over. Instead of pulling over, Rosa-Mendez, who had gotten several driver’s license suspensions in the past, increased his speed, until he was going 81 miles per hour, even though the speed limit was 45. He ran a red light at the intersection of Gum Tree Road and William Hilton Parkway and collided with a car that was crossing the intersection and had the right of way to do so. The driver of the struck vehicle, Colton Poirot, suffered fatal injuries. He was 22 years old. One of the passengers in Rosa-Mendez’s car also suffered severe injuries.
Rosa-Mendez originally pleaded not guilty to the criminal charges. His trial began in late 2025. During the trial, he changed his plea from not guilty to guilty; defendants who plead guilty are less likely to receive the maximum sentence for their crimes than those who are convicted at trial.
Let Us Help You Today
The personal injury lawyers at the Stanley Law Group can help you get justice after an accident that occasioned a lengthy criminal case. Contact The Stanley Law Group in Columbia, South Carolina or call (803)799-4700 for a free initial consultation.
Source:
scsolicitor14.org/driver-imprisoned-for-fleeing-police-causing-deadly-crash/
