DUVAL COUNTY, Fla. — Megan Mooney was 22 years old when she was hit and killed by a drunk driver in 2021.
READ MORE: Michael Motley sentenced
The driver, Michael Motley, has been sentenced to 12 years in prison.
Mooney’s mother feels the sentence is too light.
“I thought when you took someone else’s life that there would be a much more severe penalty,” Carrie Mooney, Megan’s mother said.
The maximum penalty for DUI Manslaughter in this case is 15 years.
Motley pleaded guilty.
It’s a closed chapter for the Mooneys, but nothing will bring back their daughter .
“She was such a good girl and she didn’t deserve this and she had her whole entire life ahead of her,” said Carrie Mooney.
Megan’s father, John Mooney, remembers her passion for sports and criminology, which was her major at the University of North Florida. She was just 5 months away from graduating when she was killed.
“She was extremely athletic growing up and she wanted to help everybody,” he said.
Her mother said, "She’d go out of her way to make others feel welcomed and special and that was just who she was."
Her parents are now left with only memories and photos.
Carrie Mooney sas people should think twice before drinking and driving. “It’s absurd to think about it in 2021 when this happened and there are Ubers, Lyfts, and there are programs you can get services for free even."