Kenneth Scott Borys, who pleaded guilty to leaving the scene of a fatal pedestrian accident in Fallston last March, was sentenced Thursday to spend a year in jail for a crime the victim's family says still causes them great grief.

Police and prosecutors said Borys' vehicle struck Christian John Widomski, 44, on the evening of March 5, 2015, as Widomski walked along Harford Road behind a snowblower he was returning to a neighbor following a snowstorm earlier in the day. Witnesses told Maryland State Police the Jeep Cherokee that struck Widomski stopped briefly and then sped away. Widomski died a short time later at the hospital.

Despite the publicity generated by the fatal accident, Borys never came forward, which prompted police and prosecutors to charge him with a felony, Harford State's Attorney Joseph Cassilly said in January, after Borys pleaded guilty to one count of failing to remain at the scene of a fatal accident, and to one count of possession of drugs with intent to distribute from an unrelated case.

His plea deal allowed Borys, 24, to avoid significant jail time when he appeared in Harford County Circuit Court in Bel Air for sentencing by retired Judge Maurice Baldwin Jr.

Borys, who wore a dark suit and tie, showed little emotion during the hearing as Joan Copeland, Widomski's stepmother, and his wife, Shannon Trussell Widomski, read victim impact statements.

Borys cast his eyes down each time Copeland looked at him while she read statements written by her, as well as Widomski's father, Melvin, his older brother, Randy, his stepsister, Celeste Copeland, and sister-in-law, Brooke Widomski.

"Chris was not my biological son, but I loved him like a son out of the 12 years I have been with his father," Copeland said.

Widomski, who worked as an electrical contractor, is also survived by his two sons, 9-year-old Sam and 11-year-old Charlie. His relatives, in their statements, described a man who was a devoted son, brother, father and youth sports coach in Fallston, a man with a great sense of humor, perpetually positive outlook on life and willingness to help his friends and neighbors.

Shannon Widomski, from whom the victim was separated at the time of his death, fought back tears as she talked about how she must care for their sons as a single parent, and how they all struggle with overwhelming grief and post-traumatic stress disorder.

"You caused the death of a wonderful human being," she told Borys.

Baldwin sentenced Borys to 10 years in jail, with all but one year suspended, in the fatal accident case, and five years in jail with all but six months suspended in the drug case.

Under the sentences, Borys will serve the two jail terms concurrently at the Harford County Detention Center. He also received five years supervised probation for each conviction. Borys, who is a student at Towson University and slated to graduate this year, will report to the jail June 1.

He is eligible for work release, meaning he can leave the jail to work, but he must be imprisoned at all other times.

Borys, who has grown a bushy brown beard since he was charged, appeared in court with his attorneys, Howard A. Miliman, of Baltimore, and Miliman's daughter and co-counsel, Amanda.

Howard Miliman said his client had been on the road that day to help friends get out of the snow.

"He is sorry for what happened," he said.

Borys stood and spoke briefly after Baldwin issued the sentence.

"I'm so sorry this happened," he said, telling the judge he thinks about the accident every day.

"I will continue to think about it the rest of my life," he said.

According to Cassilly, police found several containers of marijuana when they searched Borys' home in the course of investigating the accident.

He was immediately charged with drug offenses, but was not indicted for the accident until Sept. 15, 2015. At the time, Cassilly attributed the delay to the thoroughness of the investigation.

Speaking to the court, Cassilly expressed his continued surprise that Borys did not return to the scene of the accident or turn himself in later.

"The complete and utter thoughtlessness of what he did amazes me," he said, adding that most perpetrators who leave the scene of an accident, as the "enormity" of the situation hits them, eventually return.

While Cassilly described Borys' actions as "cowardly and self centered," he noted the State Police investigation showed Widomski also had a role in the accident, as he was walking in the right-of-way in the dark and wearing dark clothing, making it difficult for drivers to avoid him.

"The police opinion was that it was pedestrian error," Cassilly explained after the hearing. "That's why the charges start after the accident, with the leaving the scene part."

Cassilly said the sentence Baldwin handed down on the hit and run conviction is in line with guidelines.

"I'm so sorry for that death," Cassilly said.