GERMAN TWP. — The family of a woman who was killed in a crash last year is speaking out after the driver charged with causing the crash pleaded guilty.
Prosecutors say Kelsey Slivinski died last year after a driver crossed over the center line going 80 miles per hour. Two other people were seriously hurt in that crash, one of them being an eight-year-old boy.
The driver who pleaded guilty is 20-year-old Cristian Jesus Villajuarez-Castillo from Middletown. He now faces up to 16 1/2 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to aggravated vehicular homicide and aggravated vehicular assault charges.
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The prosecutor’s office said he had no driver’s license and was driving erratically. According to a crash report, he crossed the center line and hit Kelsey’s car head-on last August.
Her younger sister told News Center 7′s Brandon Lewis that she never wants Kelsey to be forgotten through all of this. She said Kelsey was outgoing and had a beautiful smile.
“I wanna keep her memory alive, as long as I’m alive my sister will always be alive, and I don’t want her ever to be forgotten, or I don’t want her story to get swept under the rug,” Kaley Slivinski said.
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Even though Villajuarez-Castillo faces prison time, she doesn’t think it’s enough.
“I don’t think it’s fair that he gets to live and still gets to talk to his family and gets three meals a day and breathe air and my sister don’t. I don’t think it’s fair at all,” Slivinski said.
Slivinski, who is 23 years old, said that even though the loss is hard she is trying to be okay for her nephew, who was in the car with Kelsey. He turned nine in September.
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“Here lately I’ve been taking it a lot rougher, the more time goes on. I try to be better, try to do it for my nephew. Physically he’s okay but mentally,” Slivinski said.
Even though Slivinski would have preferred a harsher sentence, she said she is comforted that this won’t happen again.
“At least I know he’s not going to do it to another person for a while,” Slivinski said.
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The family still maintains a memorial for Kelsey on State Route 4 where the crash happened.
“A few of us go there every once in a while, at least once a week somebody goes there and makes sure everything is upkeep and still there,” Slivinski said.
When asked if she plans to make an impact statement at Villajuarez-Castillo’s sentencing later this month, she said that despite not wanting to see him, she and a few family members do intend to make a statement.
“I want them to hear how bad he hurt me, and our family, so I’m gonna do it,” Slivinski said.
“I’m just happy that eventually, justice will kind of be brought and hopefully it doesn’t happen again. I hope he gets out and he changes his whole life because it’s not fair and I hope he regrets what he did every day of his life,” Slivinski said.
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