DENVER (AP) — A 56-year-old man has been sentenced to 24 years in prison for driving drunk, causing the death of his friend and severe injuries to a woman.

The Denver Post reported Tuesday that Timothy Merritt had been convicted at trial for the death of Cecil Vijil Sr. and for severely injuring Sallie Vijil.

He will serve a 10-year prison term at the same time as his 24 years in connection to Sallie Vijil's injuries.

Merritt had been convicted three times for drunken driving between 2005 and 2016. In one of the cases, Merritt was arrested for drunken driving after he drove directly at a police officer heading the wrong direction on an Arizona highway.

The officer said he saw Merritt vomiting out the window and tossing out a beer can.

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Information from: The Denver Post, http://www.denverpost.com