Loterlo Davis Senior, 50, died while walking down Fruit near McKinley in Central Fresno last September. Officers arrested the suspect several months later in Sacramento.
The man gave a last minute letter to the court Tuesday morning saying that he would take it all back if he could. He was exposed to 16 years in prison but will serve far less.
Maurice Fields wanted to accept responsibility according to his attorney. So he took the offer by prosecutors and was sentenced Tuesday for gross vehicular manslaughter, hit-and-run and child endangerment.
Field's attorney Roberto Dulce said, "There is nothing that shows remorse more than when you enter an early plea, which is what happened here."
Fresno police say the 19 year old had no driver's license and a long criminal past. Investigators said Fields was going way too fast when he crashed, not once but twice. During the first collision the car hit Loterlo Davis Senior, and during the second, power poles were struck.
His 10-year-old nephew who was in the front passenger seat was seriously hurt in the crash, his seven-year-old nephew who was seated in the backseat was not injured.
Fields wrote a letter to the court explaining more about the situation. His attorney summarized it.
"I'm very sorry about what happened. If I could do things over again, then I would do things over again, and I would not do this. It's a mistake, by a 19 year old kid."
Witnesses said Fields was bloody as he ran away from the scene with his seven-year-old nephew in tow.
At sentencing, the victim's family did not speak, but they told Action News last year Loterlo Davis Senior was a quiet person and hard worker.
As for Fields family, his attorney says they have also forgiven him for what has happened and for having his nephews with him during the crash.
