EDENTON, NC — A North Carolina father will spend at least 5-and-a-half years in prison after being found responsible for the death of his son in a drunken driving wreck.
Multiple media outlets report 47-year-old Richard Altman was sentenced to up to more than 7 years behind bars for felony death by motor vehicle in the death of his son.
Briar James Altman, 9, was thrown from the pickup truck on Aug. 30, 2014. Briar’s 14-year-old brother was also in the truck during the crash and was injured.
Richard Altman, who was also ejected during the crash, was also sentenced to two years for drunken driving.
Testimony and evidence in Chowan County Superior Court last week showed Altman drove 75 mph on Route 218, about 11 miles north of Edenton after leaving a pig-picking where he drank beer.
Evidence also showed he had a blood alcohol content of .21 percent. The legal limit in North Carolina is .08 percent.
