A truck driver was sentenced on Wednesday to 90 days in jail and three years of probation for unintentionally running over a 63-year-old woman crossing the street in Long Beach, crushing her to death under his big-rig’s wheels, according to prosecutors.

Jose Manuel Garcia, 53, said he didn’t see Aurora Herrera in the crosswalk as he turned right at Lakewood Boulevard and Willow Street on the morning of Oct. 7, 2016, according to court documents. But jurors convicted him of misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter after a trial where authorities argued he’d been negligent.

Garcia’s car-carrier truck dragged Herrera for about 50 feet before other pedestrians flagged him down and told him he’d hit someone, prosecutors said in court papers. Herrera, who walks with a cane, had been legally crossing the street when the truck hit her, according to prosecutors.

Woman Fatally Struck by Semi Truck in Long Beach Friday Morning

“Ms. Herrera died a horrible and tragic death by being crushed to death by a big-rig truck that was driven by an experienced commercial driver,” Deputy City Prosecutor Stephanie Dowds said at Garcia’s sentencing Wednesday. “The defendant knew better and had an obligation to take greater precautions when driving such a large and dangerous vehicle on the road.”

In addition to jail and probation, a judge ordered Garcia to do 30 days of community service and suspended his commercial driver’s license for a year.

At Wednesday’s hearing, at least 20 of Garcia’s friends and family members submitted letters to the judge supporting Garcia. But six of Herrera’s loved-ones also spoke, making emotional pleas about how the death has pained them, according to prosecutors.

“Ms. Herrera’s family, as they stated in their impact statements, will not get to go home and hug her after this case is all said and done. They will not get to celebrate another holiday, birthday, or milestone event with her. At the end of the day, the defendant did kill someone and he should be sentenced accordingly,” Dowds said.

City prosecutors charged Garcia with misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter after the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office declined to pursue felony charges, which would’ve required them to prove gross negligence, a higher burden than the misdemeanor charge, according to the city prosecutor’s office.

Despite the prosecution pushing for more jail time for Garcia, City Prosecutor Doug Haubert said he was happy with Wednesday’s outcome.

“Vehicular manslaughter cases are very difficult and this was an especially emotional one,” he said.

Jeremiah Dobruck is managing editor of the Long Beach Post. Reach him at [email protected] or @jeremiahdobruck on Twitter.