A 28-year-old Oak Harbor woman who struck and paralyzed a bicyclist with her car in the summer of 2020 was sentenced to prison last week.

Brittany Wright pleaded guilty to vehicular assault during a hearing in Island County Superior Court Oct. 14.

Judge Christon Skinner agreed with a joint sentence recommendation from the prosecution and defense and sentenced Wright to 20 months in prison, which is the top of the standard sentencing range.

The victim, Stephen Cairns, did not attend the hearing Oct. 14 but submitted a victim impact statement. He described how he was a recent graduate with a new job “and exciting things to look forward to” when Wright changed his life forever.

“I spent one month in Providence Hospital,” he wrote. “Two of those weeks I spent fighting for my life as I suffered significant infections. After that I spent 21 days in rehab facing the daunting reality of losing the function of my legs, my bowels, my bladder and the ability to walk.”

Cairns wrote that dreams of running with his kids someday or hiking with friends are gone for him.

“The tremendous impact this has had on my life and the trauma it brought my family is something no amount of money or number of apologies can heal or make right,” he added.

Cairns didn’t ask for a long prison sentence for Wright, but said what he most wanted was for her to learn from the tragedy and stop abusing drugs so she wouldn’t hurt any other people.

Under the terms of a plea bargain, the prosecution agreed not to pursue an aggravated circumstance of excessive harm, which would have allowed a sentence beyond the standard sentencing range. In addition, the prosecution agreed not to charge Wright in connection with recent stolen property cases that Oak Harbor police are investigating.

At the hearing, Wright attempted to speak but was overwhelmed with emotion. Five people spoke on her behalf, emphasizing that she is a good mother to two children who will suffer in her absence.

Deputy Prosecutor Tamara Fundrella said that while the victim was “grateful for the level of accountability that Ms. Wright has taken on,” a top-of-the-range sentence was appropriate.

Attorney Brent Thompson agreed and he thanked the prosecution for “exercising an appropriate level of restraint” by not filing further charges in exchange for the plea deal.

“Ms. Wright is truly sorry for what she’s caused,” the attorney said.

After prison, Wright will be supervised by the Department of Corrections for 18 months, during which time she is not allowed to possess alcohol or nonprescribed medication and must get a substance abuse disorder evaluation and comply with recommended treatment. She will also have to pay restitution, which Cairns estimated at over $200,000.

According to a report by a detective with the Washington State Patrol, Wright was driving a 2002 Honda Civic south on Highway 525 in Freeland just after noon on July 28, 2020. The report states that Wright had driven off the road and was traveling partially on the shoulder and partially in the adjacent ditch when she hit Cairns, who was biking on the shoulder.

Cairns was ejected from his bicycle and hit the hood, roof and windshield of the Honda, the report states. A sergeant with the State Patrol who responded to the incident did not see any indication that Wright braked before or after hitting Cairns, the report indicates. Before the accident occurred, two different people from two different locations called in to report Wright’s vehicle as being driven by someone possibly under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

Cairns suffered a broken leg, a broken pelvis, several fractured vertebrae and a severe spinal cord injury resulting in paralysis from the waist down.

A blood toxicology report revealed methamphetamine and THC in Wright’s system, court documents indicate.