PORT ANGELES — Gene S. Mensik was sentenced Thursday to more than four years in prison for the death of Scott Franklin, a pedestrian he hit with his vehicle in Sequim in April.
Mensik, 51, of Sequim was sentenced to 50 months in prison during a hearing in Clallam County Superior Court.
Scott Franklin’s widow, Opal Franklin, said she wanted a longer sentence but was glad to see the court proceedings come to a fairly quick end.
“I’m just glad it’s over,” she said.
“It’s time to move on,” she added. “That’s all we can do.”
Mensik pleaded guilty to vehicular homicide and hit-and-run last month.
Franklin, a 50-year-old Sequim resident, died at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle on April 23, two days after being struck by Mensik’s Jeep Wrangler while walking on the sidewalk along East Washington Street in Sequim.
In addition to his widow, Franklin is survived by three adult children.
Police said Mensik was drunk when he jumped the curb at 618 E. Washington St. and struck Scott Franklin.
Mensik drove westbound for about another 10 blocks before being stopped by police.
A portable breath tester registered Mensik’s blood-alcohol level at 0.147 percent about 30 minutes after the hit-and-run, according to court documents. The legal limit is 0.08 percent.
Franklin walked daily along the street to visit his father in a nursing home, his widow said.
If convicted during a trial, Mensik would have faced between 36 and 48 months in prison for vehicular homicide and 41 to 59 months for hit-and-run.
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Reporter Tom Callis can be reached at 360-417-3532 or at tom.callis@peninsuladailynews.com.
