Macomb County drunk driver sentenced for deadly crash in 2024
Drunk driver sentenced in deadly 2024 crash
His blood alcohol level was a .35, nearly four times the legal limit. On a September day in 2024, around 10 p.m., Eric Mandziuk crossed the center line and killed 28-year-old Alex Tsatsos and injured two others.
MACOMB COUNTY, Mich. (FOX 2) - A 36-year-old man learned his fate in court at his sentencing for driving drunk, crossing the centerline, and killing one person while injuring two others.
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His blood alcohol level was a .35, nearly four times the legal limit. On a September day in 2024, around 10 p.m., Eric Mandziuk crossed the center line and killed 28-year-old Alex Tsatsos and injured two others.
On Wednesday, he took responsibility by pleading no contest to the charges and was sentenced to an agreed-upon sentence of 76 months, a little over six years, to 15 years in prison, but it was an emotional day in court.
"Just the amount of people in the courtroom meant the world to us. And that's who Alex was," said father Jerry Tsatsos.
"On September 21, 2024, the defendant chose to drink with a blood alcohol level of .35 and drive into oncoming traffic," said mother Clair Tsatsos.
"Killing Alex and injuring two others makes me sick to my stomach," said sister Rachel Miller.
"Before September 21, if you asked me if I was going to heaven or hell, I was in heaven absolutely, but now I don't know," said defendant Eric Mandziuk. "We know that he is going to serve time for the decision that he made, and we're okay with that."
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In court, the family wanted the judge to hear an AI-generated video from the deceased victim as part of the victim impact statement.
The judge, however, didn't want to review the AI. Instead, he considered the testimony of living victims and the letters that other victims wrote.