A Michigan man who caused a woman to suffer a traumatic brain injury when he slammed her to the ground after a road-rage incident has been ordered to pay more than $390,000 in medical restitution.
The fine was imposed Wednesday by a judge during a hearing in which Eric Anthony Alvarez, 25, was sentenced to “time served” after spending 321 days in jail and placed on probation for five years, the Grand Rapids Press reported.
Alvarez had earlier pleaded no contest to assault with intent to do great bodily injury less than murder.
Samantha Sutherlin, 24, had pulled into a Grand Rapids parking lot in February after some type of road-rage incident involving Alvarez when Alvarez threw her to the ground.
During Wednesday’s hearing, Sutherlin’s mother, Shellie Sutherlin, said doctors were forced to remove part of her daughter’s skull due to swelling and that Sutherlin has suffered two strokes. The mother said her husband had to quit his job to care for their daughter and her two small children.
During the hearing, Alvarez apologized.
“Regardless of everything that was going on and what may have happened that night, nothing justifies any of my reactions. Samantha definitely didn’t deserve the outcome that played out,” he said.
His attorney, John Beason, said that while Alvarez takes responsibility for his actions, he also said that Sutherlin helped instigate the altercation when she threw pop cans at Alvarez’s vehicle and tried to run him off the road.
