Following a fatal crash, a Cedar Rapids man was sentenced to 25 years in prison with a 70% mandatory minimum after a deadly crash

Cedar Rapids, Iowa – The guy who killed a lady in her Cedar Rapids neighborhood while she was out for a stroll entered a guilty plea on Monday.

Kyle Kubite acknowledged in court that he struck Bonnie and Shawn Stover on November 12th while operating a vehicle while intoxicated on Memorial Drive Southeast. Later, Bonnie’s injuries claimed her life. Kubite entered a guilty plea to leaving the scene of the collision and vehicular murder. He was given a maximum term of 25 years for driving while intoxicated, of which 70 percent must be served.

“Her voice was filled with warmth and love as she shared her plans of an evening walk with my father,” Molly Stover said in court.

On November 12th, 2018, Molly had her final phone conversation with her mother. Not too long after, Kara, her sister, noticed something on social media about an incident along Memorial Drive Southeast.

“My mother’s phone was pinging in the vicinity, and I assured her that it couldn’t be my parents,” said Stover. “That they were simply helping the victims because that is who they are.”

Molly said in court that she was instructed to go to St. Luke’s by the police when she arrived at the crash scene. She found that her mother had passed away when she got to the hospital.

“There was not a soul on earth that knew Bonnie that didn’t love her and hadn’t been touched by her in some way,” said Bonnie’s sister, Tammy. “She was generous with her love with all she knew.”

Kubite entered a guilty plea to the charge of vehicular manslaughter, which has a potential 25-year punishment. He was certain to spend 70% of those twenty-five years in prison after entering a guilty plea to fleeing the scene of an accident. This implies that he will be incarcerated for a minimum of 17 more years.

“I took a wife and a mother from a good family,” said Kubite. “I am sorry from the bottom of my heart. Maybe someday I will be forgiven. I am a good person. Nobody in this world is perfect. This could have happened to anyone at any time. I hope my situation can show someone the consequences of drinking and driving.”

Judge David Cox stated that Kubite needed to receive the maximum penalty before imposing it.

“Your actions that day had a massive impact on the family, on the community, and on a lot of people in this courtroom,” said Judge Cox. “Whether that’s your family or your friends who are also here to support you, and we can never truly fix that or undo it, but I believe this sentence is the closest thing I can do to provide justice in this situation.”

Judge Cox clarified that Kubite would be subject to restrictions on the appeals process due to the terms of the plea deal. In addition, he threatened to suspend Cox’s license for six years.