Man who made food run after hitting pedestrian pleads guilty

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – A Massachusetts man police say made a Taco Bell run after striking and killing a pedestrian with his vehicle has been sentenced to up to six years in prison.

The Republican newspaper reports that 68-year-old Robert Loranger, of Springfield, was sentenced Wednesday after pleading guilty to charges including motor vehicle homicide while operating under the influence of alcohol.

Prosecutors say Loranger struck 51-year-old Harry Fernandez late in the morning on Sept. 9, 2016, drove from the scene, and went to a Taco Bell drive-thru.

Loranger originally told police he thought he hit a cardboard box. In court Wednesday, he told the judge he doesn’t remember striking anyone because he had been drinking.

His lawyer sought a lighter sentence, saying his client has health issues and alcohol abuse has ruined his life.

___

Information from: The Springfield (Mass.) Republican, http://www.masslive.com/news/