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DUI suspect sentenced to jail for crash that killed infant

Ronny Ward III was driving drunk when he collided into a pregnant woman on April 8, 2019.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The man accused of a driving drunk and crashing into a pregnant mother and killing her unborn child has been sentenced, according to officials.

Ronny Ward III was sentenced Friday, Nov. 8, to concurrent sentences of three years in state prison and 180 days in county jail, according to Kim Pedersen, Sacramento County Court Public Information Officer. He has accumulated 234 days of good time, work credits toward his prison sentence, Pedersen said.

Ward was charged with felony DUI causing injury or death for the April 8 crash in Rio Linda.

The crash happened near M Street and 4th Avenue. Police said Ward was driving in a Jeep westbound on M Street when he suddenly veered to the right for an unknown reason and collided with a parked Chevy Impala.   

Ciara Villegas, a 31-year-old woman who was six months pregnant at the time, was standing to the front and left of the Impala. The collision pushed the Impala into Villegas. She was taken to a local hospital where she had an emergency C-section where her unborn child, baby RJ, died a few days later.

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WATCH ALSO: Rio Linda vigil honors life of 'baby RJ' after pregnant mom was hit by alleged DUI driver

A vigil was held for baby RJ in Rio Linda after a pregnant mother was hit by a suspected DUI driver. The family celebrated the child's short life but many also called for justice for a family that continues to hurt.

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