A 20-year-old Sebastopol man who crashed head-on into a Novato woman's car on Stony Point Road in Santa Rosa while he was high on drugs was sentenced Thursday to a year in county jail.
Ben Rhoades was remanded into custody to begin his punishment after an emotional hearing in which victim Vicki Siefer urged a stiff sentence.
Siefer suffered serious injuries in the December 2012 crash and was forced to undergo leg reconstruction surgery.
Rhoades faced a maximum six-year prison term, but Judge Shelly Averill cited his youth and lack of a criminal record in giving him a lighter jail sentence. She also ordered Rhoades to serve five years' probation and participate in a six-month drug rehabilitation program.
He initially was charged with possession of a hypodermic needle and refusing a chemical test. The charges were dropped after a preliminary hearing showed a lack of evidence, said Rhoades' lawyer, Charles Applegate.
Rhoades later pleaded no contest to driving under the influence with an enhancement for causing great bodily injury, Applegate said.
-- Paul Payne
UPDATED: Please read and follow our commenting policy: