A judge on Wednesday sentenced a 42-year-old man who was driving with nearly bald tires when he killed a cyclist on the St. Johns Bridge last fall to 3 ½ years in prison.

Judge Eric Bloch told driver Joel Aaron Schrantz that there must be consequences for his pattern of disregarding the safety of others, culminating in the Oct. 29 death of 55-year-old Mitchell York.

Deputy District Attorney Elisabeth Waner said Schrantz knew the tires of his Toyota 4Runner had lost nearly all of their tread and were causing the pickup truck to fishtail and slide around corners in wet weather, yet he continued driving.

Schrantz hadn’t had a valid driver’s license for nearly 25 years, she said, “but a valid driver’s license has never mattered to Mr. Schrantz.”

Schrantz admitted to receiving 30 to 40 tickets for driving with a suspended license, the prosecutor said, and would simply go out and buy another cheap used car after he'd get caught and his car was impounded.

The pickup Schrantz was driving on the day he killed York had about 300,000 miles on it and had cost Schrantz about $500, Waner noted.

During the sentencing hearing in Multnomah County Circuit Court, York’s wife and daughter expressed disgust, saying Schrantz has never admitted he was wrong and that he needed to “wake up” and accept responsibility for his blatant disregard for the public’s safety.

“You are not the victim in this situation,” daughter Carly York said in a letter read aloud by Waner. “I am. My family is.”

During a hearing in December, Schrantz repeatedly frowned and shook his head as the prosecutor described the evidence against him. Schrantz originally was charged with second-degree manslaughter, a crime upon conviction that calls for a mandatory six years and three months in prison.

Schrantz pleaded guilty Wednesday to criminally negligent homicide, then grimaced and shook his head.

When Schrantz was given a chance to address the dead cyclist's family, he said he was sorry.

“I haven’t handled myself in court all the best," Schrantz said. "You truly don’t know what I went through. I’ve cried for you. I’ve cried for your husband. I’ve cried for him very much. ...I’m sorry that this happened for you and me. But for you.”

York was an avid cyclist, a professional photographer and had a passion for restoring old homes. He had two grown children with wife, Jenni York.

Defense attorney Downing Bethune said his client wasn't drunk, high on drugs or exceeding the speed limit, but he did have a “momentary lapse” in judgment when he accelerated while merging onto the bridge. Bethune said Schrantz slid partway into the lane where York was traveling.

“We all have to share the road,” Bethune said. “... And we all have to squeeze through the same small spot. ... What I’m saying is when you have vehicles (that) weigh tons and cyclists who weigh mere hundreds of pounds, cyclists always lose. It’s a dangerous game out there for them every single time.”

Bethune said Schrantz, a carpenter, was returning home from work and had chosen to put his money into supporting his wife, who was unemployed at the time, instead of new tires on his pickup.

As part of Schrantz’s plea deal, he agreed to let the judge decide to sentence him to a minimum of three years and a maximum of four years.

Waner asked for four years, saying that Schrantz must hear “loud and clear ... that he should never drive again.”

The judge told Schrantz that the crime of criminally negligent homicide doesn’t mean that he intended to kill York.

But Bloch said Schrantz was at fault for putting his job above the safety of society. He could have taken public transportation instead of driving to work, Bloch said.

The judge said he knows other carpenters who take a bus or train to and from work with their tools and work belt.

“To put it bluntly, you are a bit hard-headed about this issue,” Bloch said. “So there has to be a clear message that this behavior is not going to be tolerated.”

Bloch said he hoped Schrantz uses his 3 ½-year sentence to become a better man. Schrantz will be eligible for time off for good behavior, meaning he could end up serving less than three years.

-- Aimee Green