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--> --> Family awaits sentencing for driver in fatal DUII accident MEDFORD (AP) - Sentencing could take up to six weeks for a man found guilty of second-degree manslaughter in the fatal traffic death of a Talent woman, court officials said. A Jackson County Court judge on Tuesday also found John Gertsch guilty of assault and felony driving under the influence for an August car accident that killed 43-year-old Jane Talos and injured four others. Gertsch was originally indicted for first-degree manslaughter, but his attorney argued that the state had not proven Gertsch displayed "extreme indifference" to human life. Gertsch, who had seven previous drunken driving convictions, waived a jury trial. Second-degree manslaughter carries a mandatory sentence of more than six years. A sentencing date has not been scheduled. Gertsch collided with a minivan driven by Talos on Aug. 29 as he rounded a curve on a rural road between Central Point and Jacksonville. Talos was killed and her daughter, Hanna, was in a coma for two days. Three other teen-agers, including an exchange student from Belgium, were injured. Gertsch's blood-alcohol level was 0.20 percent, more than twice the legal limit. "Any 5-year-old knows that if you drink and drive, someone might get killed," said Hanna, now 16, after Tuesday's verdict. Email your... Technical questions & comments to: WebMaster Daily Tidings editorial comments & questions to: Editor Visit our other Oregon Newspapers... | Albany Democrat-Herald | Ashland Daily Tidings | Corvallis Gazette-Times | | Lebanon Express | Newport News-Times | Springfield News | Cottage Grove Sentinel | Ashland Daily Tidings 1661 Siskiyou Blvd. Ashland, OR 97520 Telephone 541-482-3456 © Copyright 2001 Lee Northwest Publishing