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Monday, Nov. 5, 2012 | 1:06 p.m.
Justin Caramanica
LAS VEGAS — A 42-year-old Las Vegas man has been sentenced to eight to 20 years in prison in the drunken driving death of a 12-year-old trick-or-treater a little more than a year ago.
Justin Caramanica was sentenced Monday following his guilty plea in July to driving under the influence involving death in the crash that killed Faith Love on Oct. 31, 2011.
Love was trick-or-treating dressed as a Native American princess when she was struck by Caramanica's car on a residential street in western Las Vegas.
Police say Caramanica's blood-alcohol percentage was just under the .08 limit for driving in Nevada, but he appeared impaired and might have been under the influence of prescription drugs.
Caramanica's bail was revoked after his arrest on a DUI charge following another crash in September.
As I was reading the story, my first thoughts were condemning this guy. Drunk driving should be dealt with harshly. Drunk driving and murdering an innocent child is a tragedy beyond words.
But then I got to the part that said he was under the .08 limit. Hold on, how can you convict a man for drunken driving when he was not legally drunk? They *think* he was on drugs? Tested for it? Was there extenuating circumstance? Please tell me there is more to this story than the Sun is reporting.
People are very cavalier about drinking and driving. They are in the casino, 1 beer, 2 beer, slots, walk over to sports book, maybe a 3rd drink with a drink ticket. Next thing you know they are in the car. 10 minutes later, someone is dead and they are off to prison for 15-20 years. Lives ruined.
There's just a very lax attitude about having a few drinks and getting the car, especially in this town where some view drinking as "free" or an entitlement of gambling.