A Georgia woman will spend the next seven years in prison after pleading guilty to charges stemming from a deadly DUI crash that claimed the life of a father of two last year.
A Gwinnett County judge sentenced 40-year-old Sonal Nandkishor Patel to seven years behind bars for the February 2024 death of Omar Ortiz, followed by 18 years of probation. The sentence came after Patel struck a plea deal with prosecutors and admitted guilt to vehicular homicide and driving under the influence.
Prosecutors revealed that Patel had been awake for two days, intoxicated, and under the influence of Trazodone, a prescription drug commonly used to treat depression and anxiety, when the fatal collision occurred. According to a report by Athens-based radio station WGAU, her impaired state caused her to stop her vehicle in the middle of Interstate 85 near Flowery Branch Road and fall asleep at the wheel around 4 a.m. on February 4, 2024.
Moments later, a vehicle driven by Leticia Almaguer crashed into Patel’s stationary car. Ortiz, who had moved to the U.S. from Cuba just a week earlier, was a passenger in Almaguer’s vehicle and was killed instantly. Emergency responders transported both 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 the Gwinnett County Police Department told WGAU.
Investigators later found cocaine inside Patel’s car and learned she was driving without a valid license. Court records also revealed she had a prior DUI arrest from 2007.
Despite the evidence, Patel was released on bond twice before her sentencing — a decision that angered Ortiz’s family.
“We are very disappointed that she was able to bond out because she is a repeat offender,” said attorney Karina Deochand, who represented the victim’s family. “She is on the hook for a life.”
Speaking to WSB-TV, Almaguer shared that Ortiz had recently arrived in America seeking a better life for his two children. “He came to give a great future to the kids,” she said. “His girl and boy are going to grow up without a dad.”
