Inset: Sonal N. Patel (Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office). Background: The area on Interstate 85 where Patel caused a fatal car crash (Google Maps).
A Georgia woman, aged 40, has been sentenced to several years in prison following her involvement in a tragic incident where she caused the death of a father of two. The fatal accident occurred when she fell asleep at the wheel while intoxicated and sleep-deprived.
The Gwinnett County court sentenced Sonal Nandkishor Patel to seven years in a state prison for her role in the February 2024 death of Omar Ortiz. The court handed down the sentence after Patel entered a guilty plea as part of an agreement with the Gwinnett County District Attorney’s Office. She admitted guilt to charges of vehicular homicide and driving under the influence (DUI). Upon completing her jail term, Patel will also face 18 years of probation.
During the court proceedings, it was revealed by prosecutors that Patel had gone without sleep for two days at the time of the crash. She was also under the influence of alcohol and Trazodone, a prescription medication for depression and anxiety. This information was corroborated by a report from WGAU, a news radio station in Athens.
Omar Ortiz had only been in the United States for about a week, having moved from Cuba. On the night of the incident, he was a passenger in a vehicle driven by his relative, Leticia Almaguer. They were traveling on Interstate 85 near Flowery Branch Road around 4 a.m. on February 4, 2024, when they collided with Patel’s car, which was inexplicably stopped in the middle of the highway.
According to authorities, Patel had halted her vehicle and fallen asleep at the wheel due to the combined effects of drugs and alcohol, leading to the fatal crash.
Authorities said that due to the effects of the drugs and alcohol, Patel had stopped her car in the middle of the interstate and fallen asleep behind the wheel.
Emergency medical personnel responded to the scene and transported Almaguer and Patel to the hospital, but Ortiz was pronounced dead at the scene.
“All that made her stop her vehicle in the middle of a travel lane and caused a severe accident,” Juan Madiedo of Gwinnett County Police Department told the station.
Police said they recovered cocaine from inside the vehicle Patel was driving and later learned that she did not have a valid driver’s license. Patel also had a prior arrest for DUI in 2007.
Despite the evidence against her, Patel was able to bond out of pretrial detention two separate times, drawing the ire of the victim’s family.
“We are very disappointed that she was able to bond out because she is a repeat offender,” attorney Karina Deochand, who represented the family, told Atlanta ABC affiliate WSB. “She is on the hook for a life.”
Almaguer also spoke to WSB, telling the station that Ortiz had moved to the U.S. with the hope of creating a better future for his two children.
“He came to give a great future to the kids,” she reportedly told the station, adding that now, “his girl and boy are going to grow up without a dad.”
