A former D.C. Advisory Neighborhood Commission member was sentenced to 10 years in prison with six years suspended in a deadly drunken driving crash on the Capital Beltway.
A former D.C. Advisory Neighborhood Commission member was sentenced to 10 years in prison with six years suspended in a deadly drunken driving crash on the Capital Beltway.
Devon Lesesne, 32, of D.C., was indicted by a Fairfax County, Virginia, grand jury on one count of involuntary manslaughter in the death of Katherine Aileen Reyes, 20, of Montgomery, Alabama.
He was also sentenced to 10 years of probation once he is released from prison.
“Fatalities are rising across the region and we take these cases very seriously,” Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano said in a statement. “It’s always a tragedy when someone dies, and there are several factors in this case that made it especially egregious. Because the defendant was driving in the shoulder, at a high speed, with an elevated BAC, and the victim had her lights on, we felt this warranted a higher sentence than the guidelines and made our recommendation appropriately.”
Reyes died on March 5, 2022, when Lesesne crashed into her disabled SUV on the shoulder of Interstate 495 near Telegraph Road.
Her SUV had a flat tire and her hazard lights were on, according to Virginia State Police. The SUV caught fire and Reyes died at the scene.
