Detention, probation in DUI death of cable car operator

Visitors and tourists board the historic San Francisco cable cars at the Market and Powell Street cable car stop in San Francisco Calif., on June 7, 2011. A single ride on the cable cars will cost six dollars to ride starting next month. less Visitors and tourists board the historic San Francisco cable cars at the Market and Powell Street cable car stop in San Francisco Calif., on June 7, 2011. A single ride on the cable cars will cost six dollars ... more Photo: Audrey Whitmeyer-Weathers, The Chronicle Photo: Audrey Whitmeyer-Weathers, The Chronicle Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Detention, probation in DUI death of cable car operator 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

A motorcyclist was sentenced Monday to a year of home detention and five years probation for fatally hitting a cable car operator while driving drunk in San Francisco, authorities said.

William Makepeace, 23, pleaded guilty to vehicular manslaughter and driving under the influence, both misdemeanors, in connection to a crash last year that killed 51-year-old Reynaldo Morante, according to the district attorney’s office.

Morante was getting off the Powell-Mason cable car at the end of the line near Francisco and Taylor streets in North Beach when Makepeace struck him from behind on June 11, 2015.

Morante suffered a traumatic brain injury and died in January. Makepeace, who remained on the scene, was arrested and released on $100,000 bail. He was originally charged with two counts of felony driving under the influence of alcohol and causing bodily injury.

As a term of his probation, Makepeace can only operate a vehicle going to and from work, said Max Szabo, a spokesman for the district attorney.

An attorney for Makepeace did not immediately return calls for comment Monday night.

Vivian Ho is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: vho@sfchronicle.com Twitter: VivianHo