(Editor's note: the 15-year-old daughter of hit and run victim Grover Moree wrote in a letter to the court that the first time she saw her father was when he was lying in a casket." The identification of the letter writer was incorrect in an earlier version of this post.)

Superior Court Judge Kevin P. McMahon told hit-and-run driver Aaron Caswell his actions were "despicable" before sentencing Caswell Tuesday to 100 months in prison for the April 2014 crash that killed a Pawcatuck man.

Caswell, 31, of Griswold had pleaded guilty in January to running over pedestrian Grover Moree near the intersection of routes 2 and 78 on April 25, 2014, following a heavy night of drinking, and driving away from the scene. Moree was conscious and speaking when passersby found him lying face down on the side of Route 2. He died later at Rhode Island Hospital.

Diane Moree, the victim's ex-wife, said in a letter to the court that Moree always walked around town because he could not afford a car. She said he was a good person, though he could not handle the responsibilities of a family, and that his three children never had the opportunity to get to know him.

"To hear this person say he's sorry about what he did, it's too little too late," the letter said. "He had the chance to try to help Grover and instead left him in on the side of the road."

Moree's 15-year-daughter wrote in her letter that the first time she ever saw her father "was when he was lying in a casket." The girl said she had been hoping to get to know her father when she turned 18.

Caswell, who has been incarcerated since Stonington police arrested him in June 2014, pleaded guilty in January to misconduct with a motor vehicle, evading responsibility and tampering with a witness.

His attorney, Carmine J. Giuliano, had worked out a plea agreement with prosecutor Rafael I. Bustamante and Judge McMahon in which Caswell will serve 25 years in prison, suspended after eight years and four months served, followed by five years of probation.

According to testimony and court documents, Caswell, who worked as an assembler at Davis-Standard in Pawcatuck, had drunk hard cider, Schnapps and whiskey for several hours, first at Hootie's Goodtimes Cafe and then at a friend's home. A co-worker said he was "severely intoxicated" and would not heed the suggestion not to drive. 

Caswell told police he was driving about 30 mph in his Mazda Millenia sedan and was reaching for an energy drink when he heard a thud. He said he thought he hit an animal and continued to drive. He said he noticed cold air in the car and pulled over about 2.5 miles from the scene and discovered a "spider web" hole in the windshield. He said he called his sister and drove back to the scene at her recommendation, but found the road blocked off.

He went to the police department four hours later and provided what they said was a false statement.

k.florin@theday.com

Twitter: @KFLORIN