A Norwich Superior Court judge on Thursday sentenced a Rhode Island man to six months in prison and three years of probation for his decision to stop a tractor trailer in the left lane of Interstate 395 in Griswold in 2021.

That decision claimed the life of 29-year-old Bianca Rodriguez, a Brooklyn, Conn., woman who family and friends said lit up a room with her personality and touched the lives of everyone around her.

The prison sentence for 54-year-old Johnni Evangelista was the maximum allowed under a plea agreement with prosecutors that avoided a trial in the case. Evangelista pleaded no contest to the charge of misconduct with a motor vehicle, a felony charge that carries a maximum of five years in prison.

On the afternoon of Sept. 15, 2021, Evangelista was traveling south on I-395 in Griswold when he slowed down and stopped prior to traveling under the Route 164 overpass in the area of exit 22.

Evangelista told state police that because it was a new route for him, he was unsure whether his truck would fit under the 13-foot, 10-inch tall overpass and had stopped as a precaution. Rodriguez, who traveling behind the truck in a Nissan Rogue at an estimated speed of 80 miles per hour moments before braking, slammed into the rear of the tractor trailer. Rodriguez was killed instantly.

In a detailed analysis of the crash by state police, investigators determined the stopped tractor trailer had created an “emergency situation that had a high probability of causing a serious collision.”

“It is probable that the speed of the Nissan Rogue did not contribute to the occurrence of the collision,” the report concluded.

New London County Assistant State’s Attorney Adam Scott, who prosecuted the case, said the crash was clearly a tragedy but one that could have been avoided. Evangelista should not have been operating that tractor trailer on that highway if he was unfamiliar with the route, he said.

Norwich Superior Court Judge Arthur C. Hadden said Evangelista may not have intended to cause a death but said the decision to stop on the highway amounted to “criminal negligence.”

“The consequence was a horrific accident that claimed the life of an extraordinary individual,” Hadden said.

Prior to sentencing, family and friends delivered emotional impact statements that left many in the courtroom in tears. Rodriguez’s younger brother, Robert Rodriguez Jr. of Montville said “the colors in the world aren’t so bright,” without his sister in the world.

“When you think of what an ideal person would be, someone selfless, someone empathetic and caring, someone loving, a person that puts all of those things on full display ― that’s just the type of person she is,” Rodriguez Jr. said.

“If you could have met her and talked to her, I’m sure you would have loved her,” he said.

Rodriguez’s mother, Enid Rivera, said her daughter was a stubborn and headstrong woman who worked to put herself through college, loved helping people and helped keep the family together.

Rodriguez was a 2010 graduate of Montville High School who earned degrees and certifications from Three Rivers Community College, Quinnipiac University and Manchester Community College ― all while working. She volunteered at nursing homes and hospitals and was most recently working as a surgical technician. She volunteered on medical missions in places like Ecuador and Jordan.

Rodriguez was engaged to be married at the time of the crash.

Gene Riccio, who represented Evangelista, called the accident a “terrible, terrible tragedy,” and one that Evangelista deeply regrets. He said Evangelista, who wore a neck brace at Thursday’s sentencing, has suffered physical injuries and mental health problems as the result of the accident.

“He made a mistake,” Riccio said. “This was a mistake for trying to do the right thing.”

Evangelista is scheduled to start his prison sentence on Dec. 5.

Evangelista and Needham, Mass.-based Lily Transportation Corp., the company Evangelista was driving for at the time of the crash, are named in a civil lawsuit filed by Robert Rodriguez Jr., who is the administrator for the estate of his sister. Attorney Gerard McEnery represents Rodriguez’s family in the suit pending in New Haven Superior Court. A trial in the case is scheduled to start next month.

g.smith@theday.com