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WILKES-BARRE — A Trucksville man who pleaded guilty to causing an accident that killed his girlfriend while he was driving drunk was sentenced to a total of eight to 16 months in the Luzerne County Correctional Facility.
Christopher Tirpak, 38, pleaded guilty in August to the charges against him stemming from the August 2016 accident that killed Janeen M. Seitz, 39, his longtime girlfriend and mother of his two children.
He was sentenced Monday by Luzerne County Judge William H. Amesbury.
Seven to 14 months of Tirpak’s sentence stem from his charge of homicide by motor vehicle.
The remaining one to two months come from two charges of driving under the influence. These charges were merged together for the purpose of sentencing, and Tirpak will serve this sentence consecutive to the first.
Tirpak also faces a $500 fine, $200 in restitution to Kingston Township and $2,100 in restitution to the Luzerne County Coroner.
Tirpak must also attend alcohol safe driving school and submit to a DNA sample.
The accident occurred just after 10 p.m. on Aug. 6, 2016. Tirpak and Seitz left a fundraising event at a bar, and Tirpak was driving when the vehicle struck a tree near Mount Olivet Road in Kingston Township.
Tirpak suffered minor injuries, but Setiz, who wasn’t wearing a seat belt, later died. Her death was ruled a homicide.
Tests showed Tirpak was driving with a blood alcohol content of 0.158 percent, nearly twice the legal limit to drive.
He was also driving about 65 mph in a 35 mph zone, prosecutors said.
In August, Tirpak struck a deal, agreeing to plead guilty to the charges of homicide by motor vehicle and two counts of driving under the influence.
As part of the deal, prosecutors withdrew two summary traffic offenses.
