A Georgia woman has been sentenced to several years in prison for causing a fatal crash while driving under the influence and sleep-deprived. The incident, which resulted in the death of a father of two, occurred last year when the woman fell asleep at the wheel.

In a Gwinnett County courtroom, Sonal Nandkishor Patel, aged 40, received a seven-year prison sentence following the February 2024 death of Omar Ortiz. The judge’s decision came after Patel agreed to a plea deal with the Gwinnett County District Attorney’s Office, admitting guilt to charges of vehicular homicide and driving under the influence (DUI). After serving her time, Patel will face 18 additional years of probation.

During the court hearing, prosecutors revealed that Patel had not slept for 48 hours and was intoxicated at the time of the crash. She was also under the influence of Trazodone, a medication used for treating severe depression and anxiety, as reported by Athens news radio station WGAU.

Ortiz, who had relocated from Cuba just a week before the tragic accident, was a passenger in a vehicle driven by his relative, Leticia Almaguer. The crash occurred around 4 a.m. on February 4, 2024, as Almaguer was driving Ortiz home on Interstate 85 near Flowery Branch Road. They collided with Patel’s vehicle, which was stationary on the highway.

Ortiz had moved to the U.S. from Cuba only about a week before the crash. He was the passenger in a car being driven by a female relative named Leticia Almaguer. Almaguer was reportedly driving Ortiz home on Interstate 85 near Flowery Branch Road at about 4 a.m. on Feb. 4, 2024, when they slammed into Patel’s stationary vehicle.

Authorities said that due to the effects of the drugs and alcohol, Patel had stopped her car in the middle of the interstate and fallen asleep behind the wheel.

Emergency medical personnel responded to the scene and transported Almaguer and Patel to the hospital, but Ortiz was pronounced dead at the scene.

“All that made her stop her vehicle in the middle of a travel lane and caused a severe accident,” Juan Madiedo of Gwinnett County Police Department told the station.

Police said they recovered cocaine from inside the vehicle Patel was driving and later learned that she did not have a valid driver’s license. Patel also had a prior arrest for DUI in 2007.

Despite the evidence against her, Patel was able to bond out of pretrial detention two separate times, drawing the ire of the victim’s family.

“We are very disappointed that she was able to bond out because she is a repeat offender,” attorney Karina Deochand, who represented the family, told Atlanta ABC affiliate WSB. “She is on the hook for a life.”

Almaguer also spoke to WSB, telling the station that Ortiz had moved to the U.S. with the hope of creating a better future for his two children.

“He came to give a great future to the kids,” she reportedly told the station, adding that now, “his girl and boy are going to grow up without a dad.”