DECATUR, Ga. — Editor's note: The video above is from the previous report.
A metro Atlanta family grieving the lost of their loved is getting some closure after a DeKalb County jury sentenced the driver who caused a deadly car crash back in 2021 to 17 years in prison earlier this month.
The DeKalb County District Attorney announced the conviction on Monday in a news release. Lester Rodriguez-Cabrera, 42, is accused of killing 31-year-old Jasmine Gaither in a deadly hit-and-run on December 3, 2021.
Gaither was standing outside of her car on the shoulder of I-85 South near North Druid Hills Road when Rodriguez-Cabrera caused a car accident, according to prosecutors.
Investigators said he failed to maintain his lane while speeding at 100 mph clipping the car next to him. He then hit the median, collided with the car again and struck Gaither. Witnesses said he then ran from the crash after climbing out of the vehicle's window.
Just months before the fatal wreck, Gaither lost her mother in a separate hit-and-run, according to family. Brittany Flournoy, Gaither's sister, told 11Alive when Rodriguez-Cabrera was first taken into custody that he took a lot from their family, and from her sister.
"You hit somebody! You didn't just think you hit a car, you literally hit somebody and climbed out the window. You didn't even have enough respect for her at all or for what you did. So, I'm glad he's caught," Flournoy previously said.
Gaither was the oldest of six siblings. Her family said she was creative, artistic, and family-oriented. She loved photography, music, and videography.
"She did touch a lot of people and she made a lot of differences," Flournoy said in 2021.
Rodriguez-Cabrera was charged with reckless driving, driving with a suspended or revoked license, hit-and-run resulting in death and two counts of first degree vehicular homicide.
The 42-year-old was also convicted on a hit-and-run charge related to a separate vehicle involved in the incident, according to the district attorney's office. He will spend a total of 17 years in prison with 15 years for the felony counts and two years for the misdemeanors.