Rachael Jankins was led out of a Delaware County courtroom in handcuffs yesterday to start serving a prison term of four and a half to 10 years in prison for driving while under the influence in a crash that took the life of a vibrant, young 19-year-old woman.

The family of Nicole Gallo also left court yesterday to serve a sentence of their own – life without their loved one.

Jankins was sentenced by Judge Gregory Mallon. The family and friends of Nicole Gallo had their sentence imposed by Jankins – and her reckless actions that snuffed out the college student’s life.

For her part, Jankins offered a tearful apology for her actions, in which she admitted she had been “huffing” an aerosol chemical before the crash.

Jankins’ car went out of control, across traffic, and up on the sidewalk outside Delaware County Memorial Hospital before slamming into Gallo and her friend Christine Bochanski. Gallo, of Clifton Heights, was killed.
Bochanski was seriously injured.

Yesterday Jankins seemed to understand the gravity of her actions.

“I can never forgive myself,” Jankins told the emotion-filled courtroom.
“There is not a moment that I don’t’ think of the pain that I have caused everyone. To say I am sorry is not enough.”

She’s right about that. And she shouldn’t bother waiting for forgiveness from Donna Gallo, Nicole’s mother.

She made her feelings clear outside court.

“I have no sympathy, no compassion for you,” the mother told the Havertown woman. “I see you for what you are.”

In these kinds of horrific, heart-breaking tragedies, there is always much talk of forgiveness and redemption.

I’m thinking Donna Gallo’s feelings come closer to the truth.

There is no good reason why her daughter was snatched away from her so cruelly.

Rachael Jankins has four and a half to 10 years to think that over.

Unfortunately, Donna Gallo will do the same for the rest of her life.