The hit-and-run motorist who struck two cyclists near Evergreen on Father’s Day last year was sentenced to 20 years in prison on Monday, the maximum that Judge Jeffrey R. Pilkington could impose under a plea deal negotiated with the Jefferson County district attorney’s office.
Cyclist Lisa Ludwig of Evergreen suffered a traumatic brain injury, three broken ribs, a broken shoulder blade and two broken vertebrae when she was struck by a car driven by Haley Mill, whose legal name is Alan Mill. Fellow cyclist Mike Will also was hit, suffering a broken rib and a punctured lung.
Under terms of the plea deal, Pilkington could have sentenced Mill to between 10 and 20 years. There was an audible gasp in the courtroom when Pilkington revealed that Mill now has 15 felony convictions on her record, including two in this case, in addition to eight suspensions of her driver’s license. She was out on parole at the time of the accident.
Andrew Phillips, a lawyer representing Ludwig and her husband, Dave, criticized the district attorney’s office for the deal it made.
“There is no justice, but it was good to hear that the court listened and took into account what the impact has been on Lisa and this community,” Phillips said. “I think the judge was thoughtful, and I think he did what he could with what he had. I am very disappointed in the DA’s office … with the way that they handled it. It just showed me again what we’re up against.”
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