The woman who struck and killed a pedestrian while texting and driving was sentenced on Aug. 27 to a year in jail by San Luis Obispo Superior Court Judge Dodie Harman.
Nipomo’s Marie Coyner, 24, hit the victim, Christopher Corey Tietjen, also from Nipomo, from behind in November 2012 and drove off, according to police reports.
In April 2014, Coyner pleaded no contest to vehicular manslaughter, a misdemeanor, and a felony charge of leaving the scene of an accident. Judge Harman sentenced Coyner to 365 days in jail and credited her for time served—139 days of actual jail-time and 69 days for good credit.
“We were asking for prison, and the judge said ‘no,’” said SLO County Chief Deputy District Attorney and spokesperson Jerret Gran. “She’s been released.”
Her sentencing also includes five years of formal probation.
This article appears in Sep 4-11, 2014.