A drug abuse counselor who drove drunk and struck a pedestrian, then drove around with the dying man on her windshield, cried her eyes out in court as she was sentenced to 55 years to life in prison on Thursday.
Sherri Lynn Wilkins, 53, was convicted of second-degree murder, drunken driving and a hit-and-run, after killing Phillip Moreno in an LA suburb in 2012.
Moreno had just left a bar around 11:30 p.m. when he was struck Saturday as he crossed the street at Torrance Boulevard and Madrid Avenue.
After striking him with her car, she continued to drive for two miles with Moreno on her windshield, until motorists surrounded her car at a traffic light and phoned the police.
When authorities arrived it was discovered that Wilkins had a blood alcohol level was nearly twice the legal limit.
Police said the Moreno ended up on the hood of the car and partly through the windshield. Moreno was rushed to an area hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Wilkins was a former heroin abuser before she became a drug counselor. She claimed she was “self-medicating” while waiting for knee replacement on the night of the hit-and-run.
Wilkins testified, “I had been drinking that night, but I wasn’t drunk. I honestly didn’t see Moreno coming.”
The defense argued that Moreno was drunk and jumped on Wilkins’ car and she panicked.
Wilkins also said, “My drug addiction began when I was in a car accident at age 15 and suffered a broken back. Using drugs was cheaper for me than going to the doctor.”
Wilkins has a previous record and served time for burglary. In 2010, Wilkins was charged with driving under the influence, leaving the scene of an accident and driving under the influence of a controlled substance. According to court records, the charges were dismissed or not prosecuted.
