CHESTERFIELD, Va. (AP) - A Virginia man has been sentenced to eight months in prison for causing a fatal crash while texting and driving.

News outlets report 58-year-old Samuel Allebaugh pleaded guilty Thursday to involuntary manslaughter as part of a deal that sentenced him to nine years in prison, with all but eight months suspended.

Prosecutors say Allebaugh was driving a dump truck in February while texting his girlfriend about what to get her for Valentine’s Day. They say he veered off road and overcorrected, sending his truck directly into Karen E. Giles’ Honda Accord. The 56-year-old Giles, a volunteer rescue squad member, was killed almost instantly.

Upon Allebaugh’s release from prison, the plea deal requires him to perform 125 hours community service for organizations that teach about the dangers of distracted driving.

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