A Portland man who pleaded guilty to ramming his wife’s vehicle, which had their kids inside, off the road in a fit of rage last year was sentenced Wednesday to more than 6 1/2 years in prison.
Kiet T. Nguyen, 44, entered the guilty pleas earlier this month to first-degree domestic violence assault, reckless endangerment and two counts of domestic violence reckless endangerment in Clark County Superior Court.
Nguyen was arrested June 16, 2017, following a crash on southbound Interstate 5, north of state Highway 503. According to court records, responding police officers found Nguyen had rammed his Toyota Camry into a Toyota RAV4 driven by his wife.
He later told investigators that he slowed down when he saw his wife’s vehicle on the highway, but then he saw another man with her. At the time, he and his wife were getting a divorce, according to court records.
Nguyen told investigators he became enraged with jealousy and purposely swerved into the SUV. The crash sent the RAV4 into another vehicle, and both went off the roadway, according to court records.
The couple’s children, then 6 and 3, were inside the SUV, as well. No one was injured.
Nguyen told police that “his intent was trying to kill his wife, the other guy and himself all at once,” according to court records.
Prosecutors and Nguyen’s attorney negotiated a jointly recommended sentence below the standard range, citing his lack of criminal history and his sincere-seeming remorse. The standard sentencing range in Nguyen’s case was 93 to 123 months.
Nguyen “seemed to genuinely be taking responsibility and accountability for what happened,” Deputy Prosecutor Luka Vitasovic said.
Through an interpreter, Nguyen apologized to his family, saying it was a miracle no one was hurt.
“It was within that split second, I was not thinking right. I was angry. I lost control,” he said. “I knew right away that it was wrong and that it was very dangerous.”
While he ultimately agreed with the attorneys’ recommendation of 80 months’ prison time, Judge Scott Collier said he was reluctant to accept the deal, citing it was unclear whether Nguyen knew his children were riding with his wife.
The sentence came with no-contact orders for his wife and the man riding with her, with exceptions so he can see his two children in video calls and prison visits.
