A driver who pleaded guilty to a hit-and-run crash that killed a man in Lorton, Virginia, in 2020 was sentenced on Friday to 10 years in prison.
Joey Lanza was 28 when he was hit and killed in February 2020 outside his own home.
More than four years later, his family feared that a judge would let driver Guillermo Vazquez walk free. But she instead gave him the maximum sentence: 10 years with two years suspended on active probation.
Lanza’s family and friends filled several rows of the courtroom in Fairfax. They hoped their presence would convey the magnitude of their loss and the extent of their pain.
We're making it easier for you to find stories that matter with our new newsletter — The 4Front. Sign up here and get news that is important for you to your inbox.
“It’s just been so hard, and it’s just been killing us a little each day,” Lanza’s mother, Mitzi Nickle, said.
“It never leaves. It never leaves. It’s something you deal with every day,” his father, Joe Lanza, said.
Friends say Lanza was concerned that drivers often sped on Old Colchester Road in front of his home.
Northern Virginia
Northern Virginia news, events and updates
In asking for leniency, defense attorney Richard MacDowell told the judge his client was driving uphill with the setting sun in his eyes.
“All of a sudden Mr. Lanza comes out from behind trucks...runs out...and without seeing him, something slams against his (Vasquez’) car,” MacDowell told the judge.
The force of the crash shattered the windshield of Vazquez’s Honda Prelude. Prosecutors say he kicked it out and kept going. He went to police two days later, after a photo taken after the crash was made public.
In court on Friday, Vazquez turned to speak directly to Lanza’s family.
“I wish it could be me instead of him. You’re not going to believe me. I’m not that bad,” he said tearfully.
Vazquez pleaded guilty but in the years since the crash, he continued to rack up traffic offenses, court records show.
In victim impact statements, Lanza’s family pointed to the great loss they suffered and Vazquez’s driving record. They urged the judge to impose the maximum sentence.
The judge’s sentence was met with emotional outbursts on both sides. There was an audible gasp and tears of relief from some of Lanza’s family members. Vazquez’s teenage children began sobbing. As he was handcuffed, he turned to them and repeated “I love you” over and over again.
Sign up for our Breaking newsletter to get the most urgent news stories in your inbox.
Lanza’s loved ones left court with the hope that the judge’s sentence sends a powerful message about driving safely that can reach everyone.
“I appreciate the fact that the judge paid particular attention to his record before and after. I think that was the key. His driving behavior was the same. He didn’t learn. He doesn’t take law enforcement seriously, and I think he will now. The judge did what she had to do,” Lanza’s father said.
“I think the judge made a stand for the community and she didn’t want anyone who would continue to possibly put other people’s lives in danger on the road to still be out there,” his mother said.
