WILKES-BARRE, Pa. — A man from Hunlock Creek was sentenced Thursday after a deadly hit and run in March of last year.
Gabe Bierly, age 7, was riding his bike along Bonnieville Road near Shickshinny when Robert Ball hit him with his car, killing him.
Ball will spend seven years in prison for the crash that killed the child.
That sentence has been a long time for the boy's family.
"It's been a very long year and a half for us, and to finally see it come to an end, it's a relief," said Gabe's mother, Sara Bierly.
Ball pleaded guilty in May to vehicular homicide and other charges.
The judge sentenced Ball to a maximum of seven years behind bars.
As the Bierly family embraced after the sentencing, they expressed a message of forgiveness.
"If we don't forgive and move on, we're never going to be able to continue on with life. Hanging onto that anger isn't going to do us any good. We have four other children that need us, and we want to be there for them, and Gabe wouldn't want us to be angry," Sara added.
"He would want us to be happy and be able to continue on," said Gabe's father, Adam Bierly.
Ball had nothing to say during his sentencing at the Luzerne County Courthouse.
While serving his sentence, Ball will have to participate in several rehabilitation programs.
See news happening? Text our Newstip Hotline.