A Juneau man who seriously injured a cousin during a motor vehicle accident two years ago is going to prison on Thursday.
Silver Maake, 24, was sentenced Wednesday in Juneau Superior Court to 36 months in prison with 33 months suspended. He’ll also be on probation for 4 years and forfeit his driver’s license for one year after he gets out.
Maake must report to Lemon Creek Correctional Center by Thursday evening to serve three months of his prison sentence, but he could be out in two months if he accrues credit for good behavior in prison.
Maake already pled guilty to a felony assault charge in connection with the January 2013 incident. Maake was driving a fairly new Camaro on Egan Drive near the McNugget intersection and accelerating to speeds of at least 80 miles per hour. An off-duty police officer sitting at the intersection witnessed the incident which Maake’s attorney described as an attempted lane change.
“No reasonable person would have driven in such a fashion,” said assistant District Attorney Amy Williams.
The car left the roadway and struck a light pole before rolling over and coming to a rest on a pedestrian bridge next to Egan Drive.
Both Maake and his passenger Siaosi Maake had to be extricated by firefighters using the ‘Jaws of Life’ before their transport to Bartlett Regional Hospital.
“But for the grace of God, the victim could have died in his accident,” Williams said. She also noted that the accident occurred during the time of day when parents were picking up their children from school.
Williams acknowledged there was no alcohol involved, the crash was an accident, and Maake did not intend to hurt his cousin, but Maake demonstrated recklessness during the incident.
Two other charges of misdemeanor reckless endangerment and felony assault were earlier dropped as part of a plea agreement with prosecutors.
Siaosi Maake underwent surgery and rehabilitation in Seattle for damaged nerves and neck fractures suffered in the crash, and he recently returned to his home in Tonga.
In handing down the sentence, Juneau Superior Court Judge Louis Menendez said the emphasis should be on rehabilitation and deterrence of others rather than isolation.
Maake’s sentence includes 33 months of suspended prison time that he may have to serve if he gets in trouble with the law again. After Williams referred to Maake’s earlier conviction for assault and other reports of confrontations with his coworkers and staff at a local fast food restaurant, Judge Menendez expressed concern about Maake’s driving and inability to manage his anger.
“You come back before me, you’re going back to jail,” Judge Menendez said.
Maake’s attorney Kirsten Swanson said mountains were made out of molehills in those other incidents, and she said that Williams made them sound worse than they really were by omitting key facts that actually portrayed her client in a better light.
Near the end of the hearing, Silver Maake stood up and turned around to speak to the rear of the courtroom that was filled with family and friends. He thanked them for their support, and he apologized for what happened while acknowledging the incident could have led to the death of himself and his cousin whom he characterized as a brother.
A special condition of his four-year probation includes staying under the speed limit once he gets his driver’s license back. Otherwise, officers will immediately arrest him if he gets pulled over for speeding.
At the end of the sentencing hearing, Judge Menendez said “I wish you the very best.”
