WASHINGTON — The driver of a tour bus that fatally struck an Alaska mayor and her mother in the nation’s capital was sentenced to six months behind bars.
Gerard James, of Baltimore, was sentenced Monday to four years in prison, but the judge suspended three and a half years, news outlets reported. D.C. Superior Court Judge Danya Dayson cited James' “obvious remorse” as a reason for suspending most of the sentence, The Washington Post reported.
Skagway Mayor Monica Adams Carlson, 61, and her mother, Cora Louise Adams, 85, were struck and killed by the bus James was driving Dec. 19, 2018, in Washington, D.C.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward O'Connell said James made a left turn despite a red arrow prohibiting it. James' attorney, Todd Baldwin, said the lighting at the intersection was poor and his client couldn't see the women crossing the road.
“My client has been devastated,” Baldwin told WTOP.
James said he got the women's names tattooed over his chest as a daily reminder of the deaths.
James was allowed to return home after the sentencing. He’s ordered to report to authorities March 19.