'His life didn't matter': Driver who 'crushed a man to death' in hit-and-run then 'left him to die alone' learns his fate

A 23-year-old pistillate successful Montana is going to situation for moving implicit a antheral who was lighting fireworks successful the street, crushing him to death earlier fleeing the country connected foot.

Butte-Silver Bow District Judge Mike Salvagni connected Tuesday ordered Shania O'Brien to serve 2 years successful a authorities correctional installation for her relation successful 2023 decease of 23-year-old Austin Nieves.

O'Brien pleaded blameworthy successful November 2024 to 1 number of felony nonaccomplishment to render assistance successful an mishap involving death, records show. Salvagni really handed down a seven-year situation condemnation with 5 years suspended. In summation to the situation sentence, O'Brien is besides required to wage much than $22,000 successful restitution to Austin Nieves' family.

O'Brien had been drinking and smoking marijuana earlier driving her Jeep Wrangler connected the nighttime of July 3, 2023, section NBC affiliate KTVM reported. At astir 11 p.m., Austin Nieves and his 21-year-old brother, Connor Nieves, were lighting fireworks successful the mediate of Granite Street erstwhile O'Brien struck them both. The brothers were rushed to a section infirmary wherever Austin Nieves was pronounced dead.

After the collision, O'Brien reportedly near her car and ran from the country connected foot, lone to crook herself successful the pursuing afternoon.

Prosecutors sought a harsher condemnation for O'Brien, asking the tribunal to springiness her 10 years with 5 years suspended, describing each of her actions arsenic being derived "from preservation," Billings NBC affiliate KULR reported.

"Her extremity was to enactment retired of occupation and that extremity trumped immoderate humane enactment that should person prevailed," authoritative Jessica Best reportedly told the court. "She crushed a antheral to death, near him to dice alone, and successful that infinitesimal and the moments following, his beingness didn't matter."

O'Brien's defence attorney, Palmer Hoovestal, pushed the tribunal for a deferred condemnation of 5 years, emphasizing the remorse his lawsuit felt for causing Nieves' death. During the hearing, O'Brien addressed the victim's household and apologized for what she had enactment them through.

"I'm truly terribly atrocious for this accident," she said, according to KULR. "I apologize to the family. I'm atrocious for the ways that I've wounded you and I'm atrocious for leaving the scene. I can't recognize what you're going done and I ne'er will, but I americium truthful sorry."

Salvagni's condemnation yet landed betwixt the opposing sides, but earlier the proceedings were over, helium shared immoderate harsh words with O'Brien.

"The defendant's behaviour successful failing to halt connected July 3, 2023, to render assistance and supply indispensable accusation to instrumentality enforcement was reprehensible," helium said, according to a report from section CBS affiliate KXLF. "The tribunal recognizes the grief, choler and trauma experienced by those who knew and loved Austin. A precise precious idiosyncratic was taken from them. Those feelings are surely exacerbated knowing the idiosyncratic fled aft moving implicit their loved one."

Before concluding the proceedings, the justice said helium lone hoped that "someday Austin's household and friends volition find bid and comfort."