reporter: among the dead, johnny hoover, spencer datt and haeley mcguire who struggled for her life in the wreckage for four hours. kevin coffay flit scene and never called for help for his dying friends. >> the kids get out. they drink, they drive and someone dies and yet we've cut out all the dare programs in the schools of. reporter: the judge made her decision after heartbreaking pleas for justice from the victim's family members. from johnny hoover's mother, my heart is broken. i can only feel rage and despair. he has taken everything from me. spencer do the's father described it as a scab that -- spencer datt's father described it as a scab that begins to heal, is ripped on and starts to breathe and from haeley mcguire's brother, kevin coffay left my sister to die in the wreckage at the side of the road. he's a coward. reporter: andrea mccarren, 9 news now. >>> coming up tonight at 7:00, welfare seems to be becoming a hot top nick campaign 2012. tonight one -- topic in campaign 2012. tonight one candidate is raising eyebrows with his comments targeting one part of that population

reporter: among the dead johnny hoover, spencer datt, and haeley mcguire who struggled for her life in the wreckage for four hours. kevin coffay fled the scene and never called for help for his dying friends. >> kids get out. they drink. they drive and someone dies and yet we've cut out all the dare programs in the schools. reporter: the judge made her decision after heartbreaking pleas for justice from the victims' family members. from johnny hoover's mother, my heart is broken. i can only feel rage and despair. he has taken everything from me. spencer datt's father described it as a scab that has begun to heal and is rimmed off and starts to bleed -- ripped off and starts to bleed and from haeley mcguire's brother, i am filled with rain and hopelessness. kevin coffay is -- rage and hopelessness. kevin coffay is an irresponsible coward who left my sister to die at the side of the road in the wreckage. kevin coffay will be eligible for parole after serving five years. >>> turning to campaign 2012, for the second time this week a republican presidential candidate is making pointed comme

the 18-year-old spener debt t, haeley mcguire and johnny hoover died. >> it was not an accident. it was a crime. >> reporter: the 20-year-old is looking at spending the next two decades behind bars. >> we are changing culture. i think this is as stiff a sentence as i can recall in a automobile sentencing case. >> reporter: two hours of emotional statements of friends and family. some in attendance spoke after the hearing. >> there's so much pain and hatred in the courtroom. >> justice is a definition of punishment fitting the crime. those people are going to live with that forever. >> reporter: weighing heavily, he alluded police for hours. his son would not have left his friends had the rolls been reversed. the judge didn't believe he was a bad person, but a reckless person. the prosecutor said he could do that best after he served time. coffay will be eligible for parole after serving five years. conditions of probation are extensive. he has to attend alcoholics anonymous meetings five times a week and have a vehicle fitted with a driving device where they blou into a device. h

described it as a scab that has begun to heal and is ripped off and starts to bleed and from haeley mcguire's brother i am filled with rage and hopelessness. kevin coffay is an irresponsible coward who left my sister to die in the wreckage at the side of the road. >> when something like this happens, it's not an accident. it's a crime. reporter: state's attorney john mccarthy said the sentence delivers a strong message. >> it's criminal behavior and there will be consequences to criminal behavior. reporter: coffay will be eligible for parole after serving five years. his lawyer told me this afternoon that the coffay family is numb and in shock and has been since the crash. live from rockville andrea mccarren, 9 news now. >> so many lives altered, thank you. >>> president obama insists hundreds of millions of dollars in defense budget cuts will not weaken the u.s. military. he announced them today in the pentagon press room. the president is cutting $450 billion in spending about. he also hinted at reducing the number -- spending. he also hinted at reducing the number of troops, but the united