A New Britain woman will serve four years in prison in connection with a crash that killed a paramedic in West Hartford last March.
Karen Torres was sentenced Thursday to four years behind bars followed by five years of probation.
Police said her blood alcohol level was more than twice the legal limit and she was driving at least 25 miles over the speed limit when she crashed head-on into the car driven by a 32-year-old paramedic from Avon.
Donovan Alden was on his way to work at AMR when Torres crossed over the center line under a railroad bridge on New Britain Avenue the evening of March 30. Alden was killed and Torres was seriously hurt.
"It's not just a 9-to-5 job. We dedicate our lives to helping others through these times, through these crises, and Donovan was very well respected within the community," said Chris Chaplin, a Alden's former colleague.
Online court records say Torres pleaded guilty to second-degree manslaughter, and second-degree assault with a motor vehicle.
"The sentence, initially, was going to be much higher, but there was such a positive report about her," said defense attorney Bill Gerace. "She's been kind and compassionate all her life, and she got due credit for that."
Gerace said Torres remains wheelchair-bound as a result of the crash and will be imprisoned in Niantic. Family and friends of Torres declined to comment on the case Thursday.
