A man who was free on parole for killing two people in a drag race was sentenced to time already served and 5 years probation, which will include time in an alcohol rehabilitation center. Kyle Soukup was sentenced in a Suffolk County Court on charges of driving drunk in Southampton and fleeing police. He was driving without a license when arrested in July. Soukup was given the sentence, despite the prosecutor arguing that the young man's history suggests he does not care what he does when driving, and refuses to admit that he has issues with alcohol. The judge, however, gave him the chance to turn his life around, though he was warned that if he violates his probation he will wind up in jail again.
In 2002, Soukup was drag racing a friend in Muttontown in a Corvette when he hit a car carrying Sophia Bretous and her fiance Jean Desir, who were both killed.
The racer apparently was driving as fast as 140 miles per hour. Soukup pleaded guilty to manslaughter and served more than 2 years in prison before being released in 2007.
In addition to his arrest in Southampton, he was also involved in a few other incidents involving DWI and assault in Manhattan.
While it is nice of the judge in this case to give this man a second chance to turn his life around, it should be clear to any reader that this is someone who has already not taken his chances at turning his life around. Since being released from prison, he has continued to go down the wrong path with his Manhattan arrests for assault and DWI.
Will this second chance at a new start finally work for him? Maybe.
Sadly, however, two people have already lost their lives because of his recklessness and his poor judgement. Those two will never get a second chance to live their lives.
http://www.newsday.com/long-island/suffolk/man-on-parole-in-fatal-drag-race-gets-probation-1.4398477
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