A Carter County judge sentenced a Butler man to serve 16 years in prison for a conviction of vehicular homicide in connection with a fatal car crash in February 2016.

Jerry Ray Oaks, 35, of Piercetown Road, Butler, was found guilty by a jury in August of vehicular homicide by intoxication. The charge against Oaks stems from a motor vehicle accident on February 13, 2016, that claimed the life of 47-year-old Viencen Hitechew, of Roan Mountain.

Under state law, vehicular homicide by intoxication is categorized as a “Class B” felony. Oaks faced a possible sentence of between 3 and 30 years under state sentencing guidelines.

On Monday, Judge Lisa Nidiffer Rice sentenced Oaks to serve 16 years in prison. Due to his prior record, Oaks was classified by the court as a “Multiple” offender, which means he will have to serve a minimum of 35 percent of his sentence before being eligible for parole.

At trial, jurors also convicted Oaks of second offense driving on a revoked license. Rice sentenced him to serve 11 months 29 days for that conviction and ordered it be served concurrently with the 16-year sentence.

During his trial, Oaks took the stand and apologized to the family of Hitechew. Oaks took the stand once again during Monday’s sentencing hearing, saying he could not imagine what Hitechew’s family went through with his loss.

Oaks testified that due to the injuries he suffered in the crash he doesn’t have any real memories of the accident but weeks later waking up in the hospital and learning that Hitechew had died.

“It definitely wasn’t my intention to hurt him, and I’m so sorry he’s gone,” Oaks said. “Whatever punishment I’m dealt, I’ll take that.”

“I wasn’t supposed to be driving. I didn’t have a license, and I had been drinking,” he continued. “I shouldn’t have been out on that road, and now he’s never coming home.”