SANTA CRUZ — A Santa Cruz County Superior Court Judge on Monday sentenced a Scotts Valley man to six years in state prison for a June 2017 crash that killed his friend.
Police say that Kristofor Benson, 39, was impaired by drugs and alcohol, and traveling at an unsafe speed, on June 4, 2017 when he drove Hannah Milkowski from his residence toward the beach.
Just minutes from his residence, Benson lost control of his vehicle and collided with a utility pole.
Milkowski, who was not wearing a seat belt, suffered fatal injuries.
Benson declined medical assistance from bystanders, and drove recklessly from Scotts Valley and onto Highway 1 as he attempted to get medical aid for Milkowski, police said.
Benson
Benson crashed a second time at the off ramp at Soquel Drive.
During the sentencing hearing, Milkowski’s mother asked Judge Stephen Siegel to sentence Benson to the maximum possible term under the law. A representative from Mothers Against Drunk Driving also attended the hearing.
Benson was immediately remanded into custody after the hearing.
Assistant District Attorney Alex Byers, who prosecuted the case, said he was pleased with the sentence.
“The defendant made some very careless decisions that day, and consequently, an innocent life was lost,” Byers said. “I am pleased that he will be held fully accountable for his actions in this case, and that he will spend the next several years of his life behind bars.”
