"We can heal and move forward and know that, you know, for at least the next 11 years, she's not a risk to anyone else's family," says Beth Vandenberg, the aunt of a Valley mixologist who was killed in a wrong-way crash in 2021.
Next month will be two years since 31-year-old Bobby Kramer has been gone. For the family, that time has been filled with painful court dates but those have finally come to an end.
"I want them to remember Bobby for the giving individual he was and, in his legacy, we'd like to make some change. So hopefully, we can stop some wrong-way deaths in the future," says Vandenburg.
The young husband and father was killed on Feb. 10, 2021, while driving along Interstate 10 near Ray Road.
DPS says 25-year-old Hannah Dike had been drinking before getting into her car and traveling the wrong way on I-10, eventually hitting Kramer head-on.
On Tuesday, a judge sentenced her to 11.5 years in prison as part of a plea deal.
"I hope that she, herself, and others who have been in the same situation, you know, decide to do something positive and impact others to prevent the tragedy from happening again," says Vandenburg.
Court documents show Dike's blood alcohol content was nearly three times the legal limit and that she had a prior DUI charge. Kramer's family is hoping to encourage lawmakers to take action.
"Come up with some maybe tougher sentencing on the DUIs so that we can all move forward together. And really, it is more impactful, and people make other choices. This was 100% preventable," says Vandenburg.
ABC15 spoke with Kramer's brother, James, just last month.
"One of my favorite people I've ever met in my life," says James.
Kramer was in the Navy for about nine years, working in battlefield medical care. He had dreams of becoming a doctor but then fell in love with the world of mixology. Through it all, he never lost sight of helping others, providing food and funds to service industry workers during the pandemic.
"I mean, he fed over 400 people in Arizona alone," says James.
His family says they will continue to honor his legacy by creating change.
"There's got to be a solution somewhere and we have to work together to find it," says Vandenburg.
