The Virginian-Pilot
©
NORFOLK
Jamie Gallihugh makes a detour on her way to work to be sure the flowers on her daughter's grave have not been scattered by wind.
Once she's at her job as a 911 operator, she dreads the calls about wrecks, can't keep herself from wondering whether some other mom would get the same notification she did - a daughter killed by a drunken driver.
The driver, Ronald K. Sharpe Jr., will serve six years and five months for aggravated involuntary manslaughter in the February death of 19-year-old Alexandria Calamia on Northampton Boulevard. The sentence was the most allowed under the terms of his plea agreement.
Sharpe was a gym teacher at Azalea Gardens Middle School. He was fired after his conviction in July.
Prosecutor Janet Westbrook said Sharpe was drunk and high on marijuana when he crossed several lanes of traffic and plowed into Calamia's car.
Calamia and a friend, Heather Lee, had come to Norfolk to visit their friend Brandon Wise at Virginia Wesleyan College. The three had gone out for fast food when the wreck happened. Wise's mother testified that he was in a coma for weeks. The bones around his left eye and collar bone were broken, and he suffers from a brain injury. He has had to withdraw from college for treatment and therapy.
Sharpe walked away from the wreck unscathed except for a cut on his lip. Westbrook told Judge Karen J. Burrell that while free on bond, Sharpe repeatedly tested positive for marijuana after driving to his appointments with a court officer despite orders not to drive and to abstain from drugs and alcohol.
"Clearly, he does not care," Westbrook said. "He killed someone by doing that, and he continues to do it. He does not care."
Westbrook also pointed to Sharpe's conflicting statements to police after the wreck: He claimed to have skidded on a wet spot, been hit by another car, and bumped against a median.
Sharpe's lawyer, Michael F. Fasanaro Jr., argued that his client was not a criminal, but a good man who made bad choices. Fasanaro offered several letters attesting to Sharpe's character and said his client had spent his life trying to help people through teaching.
Sharpe apologized to the many members of his family and Calamia's family crowded into the courtroom.
"Knowing that I caused someone to lose their life is the heaviest weight I can bear," Sharpe said.
Michelle Washington, (757) 446-2287, michelle.washington@pilotonline.com
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Ronald Sharpe was my former
Ronald Sharpe was my former teacher. He always told us not to do drugs, drink, and when we got old enough, not drink and drive. And he did all that. I always thought he was a good man. But after this happened, my views on him are different. And I think he should have got longer than that.
A Loser
I could feel sorry for someone who did this once and had no record to speak of. Someone who goes to get his drug check MULTIPLE TIMES while he's stoned on weed, I have no sympathy for. Bury him under the jail.
Double Standard
Why does the PILOT allow commenters to throw stones at this man but not at victims? Why do they disable comments on the Chesapeake swine flu death but not on this?
This Guy Deserves To Be Punished!
He was supposed to be a teacher and a role model. But he drove drunk and killed an innocent young lady. People should comment about this on pilotonline. However, the poor young lady who had no health insurance and died of the swine flu did nothing wrong. No one should comment on that.
The Reason
This is the state of Virginia. We have much to learn about what is right and what is appropriate. There is nothing to be gained by allowing individuals to post to this story other then more hurt, pain, and frustration about the story. To allow individuals to post to this story is a poor choice on the part of the Pilot staff.
Free Speech?
Maybe you did not hear about this right in this country?
It's time
Don't you think it's time to stop trying to make DUI murders fit into an arcane common law system? People who kill others in DUI/DWI accidents get off lightly. I know that the prisons are overcrowded, but that doesn't really bother me. So, here is what I propose:
If you kill someone because of your DUI - mandatory minimum 10 years with a possible 20 years (for each death) - No parole!
Factors of aggravation to include: if this is your second DUI offense - additional mandatory 5 years. third DUI offense, an additional 5 years, etc.
This probably would not deter drunk drivers, but it would get them off the streets for a long time if they kill someone. I know that the victim's families only want their loved ones back, but knowing that the killer is behind bars for a long time might add some closure.
Just a thought.
What is lightly?
Everything that you own, did, or whatever has now been taken away from you because you are a threat to our social order. We put you away with other murderers, rapist, thieves, and smokers of illegal substances. When you finally get out of our penal colonies, you have nothing except the fact that you "paid" for your crime. Then people will not hire you because you are a "felon".
Alcholism and being a druggie are all forms of an allergy such as hay fever. Unfortunately, the person that is allergic must choose to abstain from the allergent to maintain health. Until they do, they are a possible harm to themselves and society.
We penalize them when they get behind the wheel of a car, get in fights and kill people, or just when they are shown to be drunk in public. What public good is accomplished by imprisoning this type of person - keep them off the public streets. No mental ward is going to help them until they choose to abstain from their allergy.
This is a lifetime allergy which will not go away until they die. To say 6 years of your life is a light sentence? How about you drop everything that you are doing right now...right now...give away all you have ....right no
Throwing stones
Yes, it is wrong.Let see how many finger pointers comment on this article.
A good man ???
A good man that made bad choices. " aggravated involuntary manslaughter ". How about this. This man is a murderer. Period. Plain and simple. I spent 20 years as a paramedic dealing with the aftermath of " good " men and women like this. Until the public treats DWI fatalities as premeditated murder the carnage will continue.
Less than 7 years for taking an innocent human life. Pathetic. Again this man chose to drink and do drugs, he chose to get behind the wheel of his car and he had to know the possible outcome. He like most others that kill when impaired behind the wheel simply did not care about the lives of others. It is all about them. The laws need to change.