Idaho woman gets prison time for crash that killed daughter

LEWISTON – An Idaho woman has been sentenced to at least three years in prison after pleading guilty to manslaughter for a car crash that killed her 5-year-old-daughter.

The Lewiston Tribune reported that 40-year-old Bianca Sekayouma was driving drunk when she struck a power pole along U.S. Highway 95 in 2014. The crash near Lapwai killed 5-year-old Maya Martinez and injured 7-year-old Mia Martinez. The girls were not wearing seatbelts.

Sekayouma pleaded guilty in November.

Her attorney Richard Cuddihy said Sekayouma had already paid dearly and would be best served by rehabilitation and counseling.

But District Judge Jeff Brudie agreed with prosecutors’ recommendation of three to 10 years in prison, saying the punishment needed to reflect the seriousness of Sekayouma’s crime.