Watch CBS News

Cameron Bendson Sentenced To 50 Months In Prison For Hit-And-Run That Killed Woman On Mobility Scooter

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A Minneapolis man who hit and killed a woman on her mobility scooter and then drove off is going to prison.

A judge sentenced 22-year-old Cameron Bendson to 50 months on Friday.

Last fall, he ran a red light and hit the 70-year-old as she was in a crosswalk.

Cameron Bendson
Cameron Bendson (credit: Hennepin County)

"It's sad that his family gets to talk with him and see him, but our family has to suffer," said Ann Burgoyne, a victim advocate who read impact statements on behalf of family members.

In January, Bendson pleaded guilty to criminal vehicular homicide and fleeing the scene. Investigators said that last October his Jeep Grand Cherokee hit Rosie Lee Means so hard that she was thrown 50 feet from the North Minneapolis intersection she was crossing.

"It makes it sadder that he thought her life was less valuable enough to not even stop to help her. She had to suffer because she crossed the street," Burgoyne said.

Before the sentencing, a victim advocate read statements from Means' family in court. Some choosing to forgive, while others saying they weren't ready for forgiveness, just yet.

On the day Means was killed, witnesses told police that Bendson had been high on methamphetamine. They later found his Jeep abandoned on Highway 100 and the interior had been set on fire. Investigators say he later stole another vehicle.

Bendson also spoke in court and he apologized to the family for what happened.

"I am really remorseful. I am having a hard time even grasping the whole concept....of what happened," Bendson said.

Afterward, the judge sentenced Bendson to 50 months in prison.

"I just feel like justice is not served. He doesn't get enough time," said Marilyn Reese, Means' daughter.

Reese spoke to reporters after court. She says her mother was loved by many and will be missed.

"She touched everyone and there was no one who could say a bad thing about her. She'd go out of her way to help anyone. And that's just the type of person she was," Reese said.

Bendson will get credit for 144 days he's been in jail.

After he gets out of prison, he'll have to do five years of conditional release.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.