Jacksonville, FL (AP) - A Jacksonville teen has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for causing a fatal crash while fleeing police.
A Duval County judge sentenced 16-year-old Zachary Lambert on Thursday. He pleaded guilty in July to vehicular homicide, fleeing or attempting to elude a law enforcement officer and grand theft auto.
The judge decided against sentencing Lambert as a youthful offender, which would have capped his prison time at four years. Still, Lambert avoided the maximum 35-year sentence.
Police began chasing Lambert's white truck early one morning last November after someone reported it driving erratically. The
Florida Times-Union reports that the pursuit ended four miles later when Lambert struck 22-year-old Christopher Thompson's car.