WASHINGTON — A group of friends who survived a horrendous shuttle bus
crash on Interstate 95 last winter are not happy with the justice system right
now.
“We have one that lost their life, we have one that’s paralyzed,” said a
supporter of the victims, speaking to ABC 7 after reports that
the
man who caused the fatal March 23 crash was sentenced to 10 years in prison,
with eight years suspended.
Raphael Barrientos, 31, of Dumfries, Va., was speeding when he collided with
the
shuttle bus on I-95 south by Lorton, killing one man and seriously injuring
over a dozen others. He was convicted of felony hit and run and sentenced on
Friday.
But the victims, most whmo were thrown from the bus during the accident, are
wondering why Barrientos was only charged with felony hit and run, despite the
fact that 24 year-old David Sanchez of Woodbridge was killed in the crash.
More so, with eight years suspended, he could only end up doing two years in
jail.
According ABC 7, Sanchez had told his mother
earlier that she wasn’t to worry — they had rented a bus and would be safe.
The group was returning from a birthday party in D.C. when the accident
happened.
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