Drunk driver who struck and killed a Montgomery County cop to be released from prison early
MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. - A drunk driver who killed a Montgomery County police officer is getting out of prison early on good behavior after serving just half of his sentence.
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Officer Noah Leotta’s father says his family realized the early release was a possibility, but he calls it "reprehensible."
Rich Leotta said he was notified that the man convicted in the deadly drunk driving crash, Luis Gustavo Reluzco, is scheduled to be released Friday after serving just over five years of a ten year sentence.
Leotta said Thursday that he wants to forgive Reluzco, but doesn’t believe he’s changed.
"He going to have to prove that he deserves my forgiveness," said Leotta. "He should change his ways, his life. He should do everything in his power to honor Noah by doing the right thing from this day forth. He’s being released on good behavior, well let’s see that good behavior."
Noah was 24 years old when he was killed in December of 2015.
Reluzco was driving from Hooters on Rockville Pike and his blood alcohol was nearly three times the legal limit when he hit Noah at a police sobriety checkpoint. Reluzco had been caught driving drunk before.
Noah’s family has already helped pass Noah’s Law in Maryland that requires an interlock device be installed in cars of convicted drunk drivers.
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Now they’re working on federal legislation that would mandate every new car have technology to detect that a driver is drunk.
Volvo already has it on the market: camera monitors in cars that detect erratic and unsafe behavior where, in some cases, the car will eventually take over and pull over to a stop.
There are also alcohol sensors and other kinds monitoring technologies that could also help drivers falling asleep or having a medical emergency.
Right now there are two bills in Congress that would require drunk driving prevention technology in all cars as standard equipment.
The Leottas are working with Mothers Against Drunk Driving on the legislation.
"We believe that this technology should be available to the masses, not just to a select few," said Frank Harris, with MADD. "This should be like like seatbelts and airbags. Because this is going to save lives."