Kristen Ann Bedard was walking to work on the morning of November 23 when a car roared onto the sidewalk, striking and killing her. On his way to a doctor's appointment that morning, her brother drove past the emergency responders. Only later did he learn that it was his sister who had been hit.

On Monday, Becky Marie Anderson was sentenced to 16 years in prison for gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, driving under the influence and causing an injury, and illegally being under the influence of a controlled substance.

A lesser penalty than the prosecution had originally sought; the 16-year prison sentence was a term of Anderson's plea agreement. For the family of the victim, it was not nearly enough. Bedard was only 36-years-old when she died, leaving behind a teenage son and daughter.

The morning of the accident, Anderson was administered methadone at an Escondido clinic. The previous night, she had taken Valium. On the day of the accident, she claimed to have been reaching for a piece of paper when she lost control of her car, driving onto the sidewalk and causing the fatal car accident.

Anderson also had two prior DUI convictions, going back 10 years when she still lived in Minnesota.

The case was a stark reminder of the dangers posed by repeat DUI offenders and the need to strictly regulate their ability to pose a threat to the public.

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