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Woman who killed teen in Tierrasanta hit-and-run sentenced to four years

SAN DIEGO (CNS) - A 20-year-old woman who had consumed alcohol before she struck and killed a teenage boy in Tierrasanta, then fled the scene, was sentenced Thursday to four years in state prison. ...

SAN DIEGO (CNS) - A 20-year-old woman who had consumed alcohol before she struck and killed a teenage boy in Tierrasanta, then fled the scene, was sentenced Thursday to four years in state prison.

Jessica Rene Medsker pleaded guilty in May to a felony charge of hit-and-run causing death.

Superior Court Judge Polly Shamoon sentenced Medsker to the maximum term under a plea bargain. The defendant could have been sentenced to probation in the March 9 death of 16-year-old Alex Funk.

"This is one of the most aggravated hit-and-run cases I've ever seen," the judge said, noting that by fleeing, Medsker left Funk to die in his friend's arms.

Deputy District Attorney Andrew Aguilar said the victim and his friend were walking southbound in the fast lane of the 5700 block of Santo Road with their backs toward traffic around midnight when Funk was struck. The friend managed to jump onto a median to avoid being hit.

A motorcyclist who was following Medsker estimated she was driving 60 mph in a 45-mph zone when her car struck the teen, according to Aguilar. Medsker was arrested six days later, about a mile from the stretch of road where the victim died.

"I chose to hide rather than face the consequences of my actions," a tearful Medsker told the court.

Aguilar said Medsker took about 14 sips of alcohol from others' beer glasses at a La Jolla restaurant the night of the accident.

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