Brasher was traveling at 70 to 80 mph at the time of the crash along a stretch of road with a posted speed limit of 40 mph. Beach was driving at 40 mph.

Beach was killed instantly, as was a small dog traveling with her.

Police found a cooler in the back of Brasher’s truck full of beer, but there were no empty containers and authorities couldn’t determine whether he had consumed any of those. Two hours after the crash, Brasher’s blood alcohol content was 0.183 percent, which is more than twice the legal limit to drive.

Beach’s daughter-in-law, Heather Beach, testified that her mother-in-law was “overjoyed” at the birth of her first grandchild, Isabella, about a year before her death and spent time watching the child for the first two months of her life. “She was always there,” Heather Beach said.

A former Chesterfield police chaplain and volunteer at Riverside Regional Jail, where Brasher is being held, testified that Brasher expressed great remorse for his actions and deep concern for Beach’s family. Because he could not contact the Beach family himself, Brasher asked the pastor to intercede in sharing his sorrow and regret.

Attorney Ted Bruns said his client never wanted to pursue a defense strategy that would minimize his responsibility for the crash.

“I have respect for the law and law enforcement,” Brasher told the court, adding: “What happened is completely out of my character and doesn’t define who I am.”