An illegal immigrant from Bolivia, Carlos A. Martinelly-Montano, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for an August 2010 drunk driving accident that killed a nun and badly hurt two others

Martinelly-Montano, 24, had been convicted of felony murder during an October 2011 trial. He was driving drunk when he swerved his Subaru into a guardrail and then veered into the opposite lane on a slim, two-lane road in Bristow, Virginia, colliding with the nuns’ blue Toyota Corolla. The nuns, who belonged to the Benedictine Sisters of Virginia, were on their way from Richmond to Bristow for an annual retreat. Sister Denise Mosier was killed. Sisters Charlotte Lange and Connie Ruth Lupton, both in their 70s, were badly hurt. Martinelly-Montano, originally from Bolivia, had twice been arrested on drunk driving charges before the crash and federal authorities had scheduled a deportation hearing. The case prompted calls for stricter immigration enforcement. Martinelly-Montano also pleaded guilty to five charges stemming from the incident: involuntary manslaughter, two counts of maiming while driving under the influence, driving on a revoked license and a third DUI offense within five years. The charges carry a maximum of 70 years in prison.