On Christmas Eve in 2009, a man got into his car with his three children after drinking. He then crashed into another car and killed an 88-year-old man. The reckless behavior in this situation is shocking. The man chose to put his own children and other innocent drivers in harm's way. What may be more shocking is the seemingly light jail sentence he received for the drunk driving accident.

When a person chooses to drive after drinking, he or she is choosing to be reckless. They are willfully neglecting the safety of others on the road. When the drunk driver crashed into the victim's car on Christmas Eve, he also injured the victim's wife. She is now left with emotional and physical damage that may never fully heal.

The 39-year-old driver was recently sentenced for causing this accident. Charged with criminal vehicular homicide, child endangerment, third-degree DWI, the man received 545 days in jail. In addition to restitution, he must also pay a fine of only $1,000. Despite a longer probation period of 13 years, the jail sentence does not seem substantial enough for the damage he caused.

The amount of restitution the man must pay is not reported. The victims of drunk driving accidents typically deserve maximum compensation for the cost of medical bills, lost wages and other damage. With an appropriate punishment, other innocent victims will not have to suffer the same pain caused by the drunk driver.

In this case, were the terms of the driver's punishment too light? Many would say yes. Hopefully, they are still effective in preventing him from driving drunk again, but the family he tore apart will never be the same. Victims of these drivers have a right to pursue maximum punishment for the devastation caused in these accidents.

Source: CBS Local, "Man Gets 545 Days In Jail In Lakeville Fatal Crash," Feb. 15, 2012