Driver who injured pedestrian breaking out of Crow Tow lot gets deferred judgment
Almost a year after crashing through the gates of the Crow Tow impound lot, seriously injuring a pedestrian, Anjlena Achwiel is getting another chance.
Achwiel, now 19, pleaded guilty to criminal mischief, serious injury by vehicle and leaving the scene of a crash. Police said that on Nov. 11 last year, Achwiel attempted to retrieve her car, which had been towed, without paying, ramming through two closed fence gates in the process. The second gate struck Melissa Quiroz, who was standing outside, causing a serious head injury among other damage.
At her sentencing Tuesday, Achwiel's attorney asked she be granted a deferred judgment. Achwiel told Judge Jeffrey Farrell she was "really sorry" for the impact her actions had on Quiroz's family and on Crow Tow, which sustained about $20,000 in damages.
"I really made a terrible decision, and I think about it every day," Achwiel said, choking up. "Overall I’m just trying to be a better person, a better citizen, and hopefully I can make the world a better place, becoming a nurse."
Prosecutors did not ask for prison time, but said Achwiel should be found guilty and sentenced to probation. Farrell noted that a permanent conviction would permanently block Achwiel, currently studying to be a certified nursing assistant, from continuing on her current career path.
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Achwiel had one unusual advocate: Quiroz, who took the stand to ask that Achwiel be given the chance to learn and improve.
"I want her to do more counseling or educate her more versus throw her in jail," she said. "I look at it as, she’s a young 18 year old that made a bad choice and was throwing a temper tantrum."
Randy Crow, owner of Crow Tow, also spoke to ask for a stricter sentence, saying that Achwiel could easily have injured or killed several other people in her reckless breakout from the lot. Even so, Farrell decided that a deferred judgment, following four years of probation, was appropriate.
"With a person of this age, a retired judge told me when I was first starting, if you have a young person you want to take a chance on, why not take a chance on a deferred judgment too?" Farrell said.
Achwiel also will be ordered to perform community service and pay restitution.
William Morris covers courts for the Des Moines Register. He can be contacted at wrmorris2@registermedia.com, 715-573-8166 or on Twitter at @DMRMorris.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Des Moines driver Anjlena Achwiel sentenced for hitting pedestrian
