A Christian mother of two tragically lost her life after a drunken man driving a Maserati hit her while she was driving home from work last January 24.
Now Gregory Allen Belkin, 44, has been sentenced to 25 to 50 years in prison by Oakland County Circuit Judge Denise Langford-Morris for killing Rhonda Williams, 53, according to the Detroit Free Press. "I have not seen a drunken driving case that caused death that was this egregious – when I say I don't know what you were thinking, I really don't know what you were thinking," the judge said.
Belkin, a former U.S. Coast Guard member, pleaded no contest in July to charges of second degree murder and driving while intoxicated. He tearfully apologized to Williams' family in court and told them, "This is not who I am. I'm so sorry."
Belkin was driving a Maserati at 134mph when he hit a Subaru being driven by Williams. The intensity of the crash sent Williams' car flying into a barrier fence. Williams, a financial planner, was pronounced dead at a local hospital near Bloomfield Township in Michigan.
After the accident, Belkin was caught on videotape appearing to be laughing but his lawyer Deanna Kelley said it was her client's state of shock.
"His reaction was misinterpreted. He knows he'll have to live with this for the rest of his life... he knows the harm that was caused by his actions," she said.
Williams was lovingly remembered by friends and family as a prayerful woman who loved people selflessly, according to Detroit News.
"She was kind and loving, larger than life," said her sister, Rebecca Miller. 'I think the biggest thing about Rhonda is she loved others. The impact for me as her only sister is that she was my confidante, she was my advice giver, she was my prayer partner – and my calm voice."
"We went on trips together, we took walks and we played tennis. We just really were each other's strength," added Miller.
