Man gets 22 years in prison for crash that killed 3 children

UPPER MARLBORO, Md. (AP) — A Maryland man has been sentenced to 22 years in prison for killing three young children and severely injuring their parents when he drunkenly rear-ended the family’s car on his way home from a Washington Redskins game.

Prince George’s County Circuit Judge Jared McCarthy on Thursday told 28-year-old Thomas Hawks that he likely will be in his 40s when he becomes eligible for release.

Hawks pleaded guilty in July to vehicular manslaughter charges in the December 2018 deaths of 5-year-old twins Alexander and Rosalie Mejia and 1-year-old Isaac. Their parents, Juana and Alexis Mejia, tearfully and angrily addressed the judge before Hawks’ sentencing.

Hawks said he is haunted daily by his decision to drive home after drinking approximately 10 beers, even though he had a hotel room near the stadium.