Twin Falls man sentenced for drunken driving fatal

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Twin Falls, Idaho • A 24-year-old Twin Falls man has been given a 120-day rider sentence with the Idaho Department of Correction for the death of a friend in a drunken driving crash.

District Judge Richard Bevan sentenced Cody Abbott on Friday. Steven Gray of Wendell died early on Nov. 16 after the car Abbott was driving struck a tree. Gray was 25.

If Abbott successfully completes the rider program, he will be placed on probation. If not, he could face four to eight years in prison for felony vehicular manslaughter. He also lost his driving privileges for two to four years.

At a preliminary hearing another passenger said the men had been drinking when Abbott got a text message that angered him. He hopped in his car, sped around a corner and struck the tree.