A 24-year-old former Bennington woman has been sentenced to five years of probation and 90 days in jail for a rollover crash last November near Mead that killed an Ashland man.
Madisyn Haack, who now lives in California, pleaded no contest to motor vehicle homicide while driving under the influence or while her license was revoked in a deal with the prosecutor, who dismissed a manslaughter charge.
Haack, who could have gotten up to 20 years in prison, started serving the jail term immediately after sentencing on Monday.
Madisyn Haack
Courtesy photo
Saunders County District Judge Christina Marroquin sentenced her to the jail time and the probation term, which includes intensive outpatient treatment and continuous alcohol monitoring for 60 days and then at the discretion of her probation officer. A positive test would result in an immediate jail sanction.Â
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According to court records, a 911 call came in about the crash just after 6 a.m. Nov. 22, sending Saunders County deputies to County Road 10, where they found a 2010 Ford F-250 pickup in the ditch, Haack's arm pinned between the roof and the ground and her passenger, Bryce Budz, strapped in by his seatbelt.
Budz, 23, died at the scene.
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Investigators say Haack had been driving more than 20 mph over the speed limit before she lost control, overcorrected and went into the ditch, rolling multiple times before the truck landed on its top.
Bryce Budz
Courtesy photo
Haack was airlifted to Omaha to be treated for her injuries.
There, according to the sheriff's office, her blood alcohol level tested at .203, more than twice the legal limit to drive.
On Monday, Haack's attorney, Renee Mathias, argued for probation, saying Haack already had shown she could be successful by completing an inpatient program, maintaining her sobriety and working full time in California, where she now lives.Â
Mathias said Haack and Budz, who tested positive for alcohol and illegal substances, knew each other and "both made extremely poor choices that evening." She said Haack didn't put Budz's family through a trial and accepted responsibility.
His family had sought incarceration.Â
Budz had been a full-time student at Southeast Community College and was nearing a planned graduation in December.
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Reach the writer at 402-473-7237 or lpilger@journalstar.com .
On Twitter @LJSpilger
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