Sentencing was held today for Mark Phipps—the man who pled guilty to charges related to the August 2022 death of cyclist Gloria San Miguel.
San Miguel was riding her bike on the 11th Street bridge between Newport and Covington when she was struck by a car and killed on Aug. 20, 2022. Phipps, 61, pled guilty in July to second-degree manslaughter, tampering with physical evidence, leaving the scene of an accident, and driving on a suspended license.
Tuesday, he was given the maximum sentence of 10 years for second-degree manslaughter, five years on each count of tampering with physical evidence, leaving the scene of an accident, and 12 months for driving while his license was suspended for a DUI aggravator by Campbell County Circuit Court Judge Julie Reinhardt Ward. He will serve these sentences concurrently and, in total, will serve 10 years.
Phipps has already served 376 days and will receive credit for that toward his sentencing.
Representation for Phipps said during the sentencing that Phipps takes full responsibility for what happened and had no further comments to make.
San Miguel’s family members addressed the judge before the sentencing. San Miguel leaves behind her partner, Zach Vickers, and her young daughter, Luna.
San Miguel’s mother was the first to speak and said she asked herself often, “Did that really happen?”
“Inside my house, I have an urn,” she said. “It was Gloria’s request that if something was to happen to her, her ashes be scattered, part of them at the home place where she grew up and the other half at Red River Gorge. When Gloria requested that, I never thought it would happen. In fact, I had forgotten about it. Those ashes are still sitting in my home. I could not bear to scatter those ashes. Imagine scattering the ashes of your baby.”
San Miguel’s mother said she is learning to live again and be happy after her daughter’s death. She said San Miguel’s daughter Luna, who was three years old at the time, had “the most tragic loss.”
She ended her sentiments by recalling how much San Miguel loved the city of Covington and tending to gardens and parks.
Vickers also spoke during the sentencing, recalling how he held San Miguel as she died and how he thought of Luna.
“I hope the thought of a little girl losing her mother will haunt Mr. Phipps to the end of his days like it will haunt me,” Vickers said.
