VISTA, Calif. - An Escondido man was sentenced Thursday for a DUI-related hit-and-run crash that seriously injured a woman and led to the death of her unborn child.
Jose Uriostegui was ordered to serve more than 7 years in prison for a June 5 crash at the intersection of state Route 78 and Broadway in Escondido. Police said Uriostegui's Ford F-150 truck ran a red light and struck a Nissan Altima on the driver's side.
According to police, after the 2 a.m. crash, Uriostegui tried to flee the scene, but two witnesses held him for officers.
In court, crash victim Lucrecia Vasquez described the physical and mental torture she's endured since the accident she barely survived.
"I see it as he is my son's murderer," said Vasquez, speaking with the help of an interpreter.
Vasquez suffered internal bleeding and underwent five surgeries later. However, she said the real pain was the loss of her unborn son.
Vasquez was six months pregnant with a boy whose name she had already chosen.
"I still suffer for Santiago," she said in court.
Prior to learning his sentence, Uriostegui told the court -- through an interpreter -- that he accepted full responsibility for the crash.
He pleaded with the court for compassion, telling the judge and the victim's family that he was sorry.
"You have no idea how much I suffer because of the damage that I have caused," he said.
