A Pennsylvania man who has been convicted of drunken driving seven times in 29 years was sentenced to five to 10 years for a drunken crash that killed an 84-year-old grandmother last year.
Theodore Luciw, 51, of Salem Township, apologized before he was given the maximum possible sentence Monday by a Luzerne County judge.
Witnesses told police that Luciw was illegally passing vehicles in the turning lane of Route 11 just before he crashed head-on into the car of Rachel Wolfe, of Berwick, on Jan. 4, 2012.
Police determined his blood-alcohol content was more than three times the legal limit.
Defense attorney Demetrius Fannick blamed his client's drinking on his longtime girlfriend's death due to cancer, and says he hopes to get sober in prison.
Court records show a history of DUIs dating back to 1998 when Luciw pleaded guilty to drunk driving.
