Gomez sentenced to 15 years

A Grady County jury on Tuesday found Chaz Michael Gomez guilty of three counts of vehicular homicide, driving under the influence of alcohol, driving under the influence of marijuana, leaving the scene, and failing to maintain lane.
Superior Court Chief Judge A. Wallace Cato sentenced Gomez to serve 15 years in prison.
An appeal bond was successfully challenged by District Attorney Joe Mulholland and Gomez was remanded to custody immediately.
Evidence presented by the district attorney’s office showed that Gomez was almost three times the legal limit for DUI when he struck and killed local bicyclist Martin Langmaid on Lower Hawthorne Trail south of Cairo on Tuesday, June 30, 2009.
Through forensic evidence the district attorney was able to match evidence from Gomez’s truck, which he was driving at the time of the crime.
Gomez was on probation for DUI when the crime was committed. As a result no plea negotiations were offered in the case and he was sentenced to the maximum time allowed under vehicular homicide in the first degree.
“I hope that the Langmaid family can now have a little closure knowing that this man has been held accountable for his horrendous conduct. Everyone I have talked to cannot put into words how good a man Marty Langmaid was. Grady County lost one of its finest citizens June 30 of last year and my prayers go out to Rosa and her family.”