Phoenix, Arizona Driver Eric Hodge Sentenced to 10 Years in Death of Triathlete Hannah Henry

A judge in Phoenix on Tuesday accepted a plea deal and sentenced Eric Hodge to 10 years in prison, plus five years of probation, for the hit and run death of former Arizona State University triathlete Hannah Henry.

Henry, 26, was riding in a designated bike lane in south Phoenix at about 11:30 a.m. on February 8, training for an upcoming triathlon, when Hodge's van swerved into the bike lane and struck her, according to police accounts reported by AZFamily. Officials said the van dragged Henry underneath it, went onto the sidewalk and back into the road, and left the scene. Henry was pronounced dead at the scene. Police tracked Hodge to his home, where damage to the van matched evidence from the crash.

The plea and the hearing

Hodge had first been charged with manslaughter, two counts of leaving an accident with death or injury, two counts of narcotic drug possession, and two counts of drug paraphernalia. He pleaded guilty to manslaughter and one count of leaving the scene of a fatal accident. Prosecutors recommended the 10 year prison term as part of the plea deal, and the judge stuck to that deal on Tuesday, November 10, AZFamily reported.

Police said Hodge had smoked fentanyl before driving and told officers during his arrest that passing out at random was a regular occurrence for him. He claimed he had not been aware of the crash and believed he had hit a fire hydrant.

Henry's parents addressed the court on Tuesday, and her father showed home videos of her. Her mother, Della Doore, told the court: "Hannah didn't get a plea bargain. When he got behind the wheel after taking fentanyl, he gave Hannah the death sentence. All she was doing was riding her bike on a Sunday morning."

Before the sentencing, Doore said: "10 years for killing a young woman who's just starting her life? She was only 26, just bought a condo. She had goals. She had dreams, and I don't get to see that. We don't get to see her get married. We don't get to see her have babies."

AZFamily reported that Hodge kept his head down while the family spoke, and that when he was given his turn to speak, he apologized to the family and said he had not intended to kill Henry.

A champion's career

Henry raced her first triathlon at age 9. She competed for the Arizona State Sun Devils and won back to back individual titles at the US Triathlon Collegiate National Championships in 2017 and 2018. She also represented her native Canada at the 2019 Pan American Games, according to the Hannah Henry Foundation.