On Sept. 12, 2008, her life ended when Roisin O'Neill got behind the wheel of her SUV, drove drunk more than three miles the wrong way on the Blue Route, and crashed into Waggoner's car.

O'Neill's blood-alcohol level was more than double the legal limit, prosecutors said. She was charged with homicide by vehicle while driving under the influence and related crimes.

Yesterday, she pleaded guilty in Montgomery County Court and was sentenced to five to 10 years in state prison.

O'Neill, 24, of Willistown Township, sobbed as she apologized to Waggoner's family. The Massachusetts woman, 63, was on her way to a family birthday celebration when she was killed.

"I have spent a lot of time thinking how I could have allowed such a tragedy to occur at my hand," O'Neill said. She was ordered to report to jail Tuesday morning.

On Sept. 11, 2008, O'Neill and a group of friends were at Brownies 23 East in Ardmore. At some point after midnight, she became separated from her companions and decided to drive her 2006 Ford Escape home.

In addition to the prison sentence, O'Neill will have to serve four years of probation, perform 250 hours of community service, and pay more than $21,000 in restitution.

She was given credit for 42 days in jail and 35 hours of community service. In May, she began serving weekends in jail after violating conditions of her bail while on house arrest.

"All in the name of a good time, she has not only ruined her own life, she has caused great pain and misery in many others' life," Waggoner's son, Jay, said in a victim impact statement he read to the court.

Regina Waggoner read a statement prepared by her husband, Jeff, another of the victim's sons.

"Seeing my 10-year-old standing in front of his nana's casket all by himself with his head down and tears falling to the floor tore my heart out," Jeff Waggoner wrote. He said the loss had affected his family at home, school, and work. "Holidays will never be the same," he added.

Kevin Steele, Montgomery County first assistant district attorney, said an accident reconstruction had shown that O'Neill drove past "Wrong Way" and "Do Not Enter" signs before getting on I-476. Other drivers swerved to avoid her.

"These are terrible consequences for someone making a stupid decision," he said.

O'Neill is the third member of her family to face criminal charges in the last three years.

Last month, her father, Sean O'Neill Sr., 49, received an 18-month prison sentence after pleading guilty to three counts of immigration fraud, one count of illegal possession of a firearm silencer without a serial number, and one count of conspiracy to commit tax fraud. He agreed to return to Northern Ireland after his sentence.

In September 2006, her brother Sean Jr., then 17, accidentally shot and killed a Cardinal O'Hara High School classmate, Scott Sheridan, during an underage drinking party at the O'Neills' house. He completed two juvenile treatment programs in March.