Search

Van Parys Gets Driver Only Two Years for Death of Motorcyclist

nvanparys
Feb 16, 2016
2 min read

Posted: Friday, May 8, 2015 7:43 pm

By Josh Allen, Hi-Desert Star | 4 comments

JOSHUA TREE — Judge Bert Swift sentenced 70-year-old Ronald Svidergol to two years behind bars for felony hit-and-run resulting in injury or death and one year for vehicular manslaughter Friday morning in Joshua Tree Superior Court.

The sentences will run concurrently, so they total 730 days. Svidergol has credit for 585 days served, leaving him 145 days behind bars.

The charges stemmed from a March 3, 2014, accident that fatally injured Jacob Koval, a 27-year-old resident of Yucca Valley.

Koval was driving his Suzuki motorcycle on Buena Vista Drive when Svidergol turned left in front of him with his Ford F-350 truck. After the two vehicles collided, Svidergol left the scene and Koval was left on the side of the road.

Upon Svidergol’s arrest, deputies said they had reason to believe he might have been under the influence, but it was never determined whether he was under the influence at the time of the crash, or if he got that way in the hours between the crash and his arrest.

A previous Hi-Desert Star story stated Svidergol had previous convictions, but in fact, those were all his son’s.

Svidergol’s attorney, Nicholas Van Parys, said Svidergol may never be transported to state prison.

“I’m not sure where he will end up, but in my experience they probably won’t have enough time to process him for state (prison). Although it is a state sentence he will probably end up staying somewhere in the county,” the attorney said.

Mothers Against Drunk Driving victim advocate Virginia Gautier read a statement prepared by Koval’s mother, Delania Koval.

Delania’s wrote that she wanted to attend the sentencing for her son, but since Jacob’s death she has not been able to go back to work.

“We cannot believe you (Svidergol) will only spend one to two years behind bars while you have given our family, and friends of Jake, a life sentence,” Gautier read.

“We are reminded every minute of every day that you stole his life. The worst of all is that his 4-year-old son, who Jake loved more than his own life, is going to grow up without his loving father.”