PITTSBURGH — Last week marked one year since Katherine Barvilcheck was killed in a DUI accident in Brookline. The driver behind the wheel was her cousin, Allison Matthew.
“I get angry when they keep saying she’s, my family. She’s not my family,,” said Courtnae Holzwarth who’s another of the victim’s cousins.
The last 365 days were an emotional roller coaster for this family.
“No amount of time obviously is going to bring my sister back,” said Mary Ann Kennedy who’s the victim’s sister.
On Monday morning they attended the sentencing for Allison Matthew. Matthew plead guilty to vehicular homicide after driving more than 100 miles per hour drunk last February. That ride ended with her passenger and cousin Katherine Barvilcheck dead.
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“She left footprints in every single person’s life that she’s met. She worked for several companies that helped children and adults and anybody she could,” Kennedy said.
Barvilcheck’s family is upset the judge only sentenced Matthew to 6-12 months in prison.
“Probably nothing anything would make me truly happy, but this was a bit of a slap in the face,” Holzwarth said.
Now they are hoping the courts will look at giving stricter penalties for future cases that involve vehicular homicide.
“I’m kind of upset. I mean nothing is going to bring my kid back. Nothing is going to bring Mary Ann’s sister back or cousin back. I just wish she would give more maximum time and learn her lesson. Taking someone’s life is serious position,” said Mary Barvilcheck who is the victim’s mother.
Moving forward the family plans to reach out to lawmakers and the state to see if there can be a change to the law for suspects to face more time in prison in these cases.
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