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September 8, 2012

Riester gets 8 years in teen's death

By Andrea McCann Washington Times-Herald

WASHINGTON — Racheal Riester, 33, of Washington, was sentenced Aug. 30 in Daviess County Superior Court in the 2011 hit-and-run death of 17-year-old Rhett Smith.

Judge Dean A. Sobecki sentenced Riester to eight years on each of two counts, and she must pay court costs. At a July plea hearing, Riester pleaded guilty to causing death when operating a vehicle with a Schedule I or II controlled substance in blood and failure to stop after an accident resulting in death. Both are Class C felonies, which carry a sentence of two to eight years and up to $10,000 fines. Sobecki ordered the two eight-year sentences to be served concurrently with the Indiana Department of Corrections. Riester was given credit for 368 actual days served and is entitled to 368 credit time.

The sentencing pronouncement also stated, “The court recommends that the defendant be placed in the Purposeful Incarceration Program while in the Indiana Department of Corrections.” The program is aimed at getting addicted offenders the treatment they need and supporting their successful reentry into society.

The remaining 11 counts with which Riester was charged were dismissed with prejudice, meaning she cannot be retried on those charges. She initially faced 11 felony counts and two misdemeanors in the incident: two counts of causing death when operating a motor vehicle with a schedule I or II controlled substance in the blood and failure to stop after an accident resulting in serious bodily injury, Class B felonies; three counts of causing death when operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated, failure to stop after an accident resulting in death, criminal recklessness resulting in serious bodily injury, and reckless homicide, all Class C felonies; two counts of causing serious bodily injury when operating a motor vehicle with a schedule I or II substance in body, Class D felonies; and reckless driving and false informing, both Class B misdemeanors.

According to the probable cause affidavit, Riester struck Smith as he crossed West National Highway near Swifty’s just after 11:30 p.m. on July 23, 2011. She left the scene, ditched the 1994 Oldsmobile she was driving, then had her boyfriend report the car stolen.

She initially denied driving the car at the time of the accident, but a police investigation revealed Riester was the one in the car. A blood test on her came back positive for benzodiazapines — a family of depressants — and methamphetamine. She told police she’d been on her cell phone when she struck Smith and that she’d been doing about 60 mph.

Riester has been held at the Daviess County Security Center on $750,000 bond since her arrest in the incident.

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