I'm sure that this is an unpopular opinion, but seriously... why are people so upset about this?

People make mistakes. There are plenty of times I could have killed someoNE at 18 making bad decisions. Drinking and driving will be a non issue for kids in 20 years and I'm so happy for them. We live in a time when drinking and travelling can cause you to accidentally kill someone. For many years before cars, this has been a non issue, and now, for the first time in history (past ~100 years or so), you can accidentally kill 4 people easily when drunk.

4 lives have already been ruined by this, and you can't kill someone and face 10 years of jail time and not be affected. Does that really mean that he is not allowed to spend the next 10 years of his life like a college kid because he got unlucky?

Let me put this in perspective for the people out there who might not have found themselves in this situation. I have drank with friends fully intending to crash on the couch. The last thing I remember is winning a game of beer pong. The next thing I know I am running through a neighborhood on the phone with a friend and don't know why.

Turns out, in the middle of playing call of duty, I stood up and said, "Thanks for the drinks guys! Take care! and walked out the door. My friends (God bless them) followed me and saw me trying to get into my car. They asked me what I was doing and I dropped the keys and ran. I remember none of this.

Yes, I "shouldn't drink" like that and I know now in my mid 20's, but I could have killed someone as a college kid if not for my friends. Why, then, do we damn the same people for making the same mistakes when they get unlucky? Punishing this kid will not bring anyone back and I assure you he did not intend to kill anyone that night.