Woman gets 21 months in crash that killed doctor
Judge imposes maximum sentence for 2 convictions from February trial
An Albuquerque woman was sentenced Thursday to 21 months in the January 2016 crash that fatally injured a prominent local doctor while she was waiting at a traffic light.
Sara Casados was acquitted of vehicular homicide in a February trial but was convicted of careless driving and leaving the scene of an accident. State District Judge Cristina Jaramillo imposed the maximum sentence for those two convictions, and Casados must serve that time in the Department of Corrections. She was taken into custody after Thursday’s hearing.
Casados was driving more than 70 mph on a city street early on a Saturday morning when her truck plowed into Dr. Teodora Konstantinova’s car near Louisiana and Constitution.
Casados’ attorney, Ousama Rasheed, has said that his client was suffering a medical episode and had unsuccessfully sought treatment in the weeks leading up to the wreck. Konstantinova’s son dismissed that explanation as “insulting lies.”
“Don’t come and insult our intelligence with your lies,” said Nikifor Konstantinov. “My mother, my father, most of our friends here in court today and myself are physicians. You convinced a jury of your peers with a tragic and simply untrue defense of your medical condition, but just don’t try and explain what happened that day with that defense.”
Friends who spoke in court described Konstantinova as a caring and attentive doctor with an enormous heart and a wonderful sense of humor.
Prosecutor Guinevere Ice asked for the maximum sentence and said that Casados had never shown remorse or taken responsibility for her actions. As she spoke in court, Casados said that court orders stopped her from contacting Konstantinova’s family to apologize.
“After years of guilt I feel relieved I can tell you how I feel,” she said through tears. “Words will never be enough but I want you to know that I’m so sorry. ... And no matter what my sentencing is, I will always beat myself up over the loss of Dr. Konstantinova.”
Rasheed asked for probation, which he said would let his hardworking, family-oriented client continue on “the positive path that she had been on.”
“Money doesn’t bring her back. Jail for Ms. Casados doesn’t bring her back. Prison for Ms. Casados doesn’t bring her back,” Rasheed said. “Nothing brings her back. Nothing you do or I do or Ms. Casados does or anyone else does will remove the fact or relieve the pain that Dr. Konstantinova is not with this family any more.”