Drunk driver who killed dad of 3 going to prison for ‘reckless, selfish’ act

A drunk driver left three children without a father more than a year ago, and now he will spend six years in prison.

Matthew D. Mason, 33, apologized to the family of Antonio Aguirre during a Friday sentencing hearing after listening for more than an hour to how his actions cost a man his life. Mason previously pleaded guilty to vehicular homicide.

Mason was drunk behind the wheel of a pickup when he crossed the center line on Highway 224 and crashed head-on into Aguirre’s car on March 1, 2025.

“I am completely to blame for this tragic night. I take full accountability for choosing to get behind the wheel while intoxicated. There are no excuses for my actions. My decision to drive was reckless, selfish and ultimately caused a devastating loss,” Mason told Judge Bronson Brown.

He also committed to never touching alcohol again.

Mason had no prior convictions so faced 6 1/2 to 8 1/2 years in prison. Prosecutors and defense attorneys recommended the minimum end of the range.

Family members spent more than an hour trying to convince Brown to hand down a longer term for the 35-year-old father. Aguirre’s family pointed out that his mother died when he was 7 and Aguirre’s son was 7 when he lost his father.

Merissa Robertson, the mother of Aguirre’s three children, said the loss had devastated her family, leaving their three children with anxiety and depression.

“My life was shattered by your choice,” she said through tears. “My whole world came crashing down on my because I had just talked to him two hours prior to this. I stayed up the whole night, crying my pain away.”

She pointed out that his decision robbed their children of a lifetime of experiences that they could have shared with him including graduations, holidays, birthdays and heartbreaks.

“The amount of damage that you’ve done to my family can never be fully, truly understood,” she said.

Brown thanked everyone who provided a statement and pointed out there is nothing in his power that he can do to compensate the family for their loss. He said he needs to follow the law, which limits the sentence he can hand down.

“I heard tragedy and pain from the victim statements, knowing that they’ll never be able to see their loved one again,” he said. “I could also feel the depth of love that these victims have for Tony who is no longer with us.”

Brown said he believed if the defendant could take back his choices he would. He noted that the worst thing in Mason’s life was alcohol.

Brown followed the recommendation for the minimum end of the range and also ordered Mason to pay $40,000 in restitution.

The fatal wreck occurred on the same night that former Washington State Patrol Trooper Sarah Clasen collided with 20-year-old motorcyclist Jhoser Sanchez, killing him on Highway 240 near Horn Rapids. Clasen, who was off-duty, was later charged with being intoxicated.

The Benton County Prosecutor’s Office handed off the case to the Washington State Attorney General’s office because Mason’s mother worked at the office, Prosecutor Eric Eisinger said at the time.

Fatal drunken crash

Mason was driving a white GMC Sierra west on Highway 224 near Benton City when he crossed the center line on the rural highway about 8 p.m. His blood-alcohol was not listed in court paperwork.

He slammed into the Acura TSX sedan in the opposite lane, killing Aguirre.

A trooper reported seeing multiple Coors Light beer cans and several boxes around Mason’s car.

A trooper reported that he smelled alcohol on Mason’s breath and sobriety tests showed that he was drunk.

He later told the Washington State Patrol that he smoked marijuana and drank four or five beers while golfing earlier in the day.