Erie man sentenced in 2022 traffic accident that led to the death of a motorcyclist
An Erie man accused of causing a traffic accident in the city in May 2022 that led to the death of a 25-year-old motorcyclist will spend more than two years in prison after pleading guilty to two charges in the case.
Erie County Judge Daniel Brabender sentenced 39-year-old Justin M. Richards on Wednesday to serve two years, three months to four years, six months in prison on his guilty plea to a third-degree felony count of accidents involving death or injury while not licensed. Richards was also sentenced to a consecutive term of five days to six months in prison on his guilty plea to a misdemeanor count of driving under the influence, according to court records.
Brabender additionally ordered Richards to pay $6,203 in restitution and $2,300 in fines, according to information in Richards' online court docket sheet.
Erie police charged Richards in early June 2022 in a May 19, 2022, traffic accident at East 28th and Perry streets in Erie that involved his vehicle and a motorcycle driven by 25-year-old Vaskar Tamang.
Police accused Richards of failing to clear the intersection at a stop sign as he traveled south on Perry Street in a 2003 Chevrolet Silverado, and not yielding to Tamang's motorcycle as it traveled east on East 28th Street. Investigators wrote in Richards' criminal complaint that the driver of the Chevrolet initially stopped after the collision, but fled the scene before providing any information or rendering aid.
Investigators said they identified Richards as the driver of the Chevrolet based on information received at the crash scene and later located him at his Erie residence.
Tamang, who came to Erie from Nepal in 2015 and later became a U.S. citizen, was taken from the crash scene to UPMC Hamot and was later transferred to UPMC Presbyterian in Pittsburgh, where he died on Dec. 2, 2022, according to his family and the Allegheny County Medical Examiner's Office.
Following Tamang's death, members of his family set up a GoFundMe account to help cover medical costs and funeral expenses. The account raised a little more than $12,000.
More: Family struggles with loss after Erie man dies following hit-and-run accident in May
Contact Tim Hahn at thahn@timesnews.com. Follow him on X @ETNhahn.
This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Erie man sentenced in 2022 crash that caused motorcyclist's death
