"One life lost. One life wasted."

Those were the sentiments of Pierce County Superior Court Judge Frank Cuthbertson on Wednesday as he sentenced 22-year-old Tristan Ryng to two years, three months in prison for his role in the death of his girlfriend.

Ryng pleaded guilty last month to vehicular homicide in the April 2008 wreck that killed 18-year-old India Escobar, a popular student at the Tacoma School of the Arts.

Ryng admitted to driving recklessly when he sped across a parking lot and slammed into a tree. Escobar suffered a ruptured aorta in the crash and later died.

Police contended the couple had taken LSD before the wreck.

The sentence Cuthbertson imposed was the high end of the standard range, a punishment deputy prosecutor Tim Jones called "rather embarrassing, considering the loss of a life."

The victim's aunt, Kara Murphy, flew to Tacoma from Connecticut to attend the sentencing. She told Cuthbertson her niece was an "incredible young lady" who had the ability to make people feel special.

"Everybody thinks India was their best friend," she said. "We don't have her any more."

Her father, Jaime Escobar, a member of the Army, came to Tacoma from his assignment in Kuwait for the hearing. He testified that he and his only child were very close despite his frequent absences and that he misses her every day.

He then turned to Ryng, who leaned on crutches for support. He was run down by a hit-and-run driver in November and suffered multiple injuries.

"I trusted you with my daughter," Escobar said. "Why? Because my daughter was in love with you."

He then accused Ryng of pressuring Escobar into taking drugs and said she died because of Ryng's "stupidity."

Ryng's attorney, Robert Martin Krinsky, called Wednesday "a devastating day for Mr. Ryng."

"The love of his life died," Krinsky said.

Given a chance to speak for himself, Ryng apologized.

"I didn't mean for any of this to happen," he said. "I'm just so sorry. That's all I can say."

Shortly thereafter, a corrections officer led Ryng away.

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Adam Lynn: 253-597-8644
adam.lynn@thenewstribune.com