The drink-driving wife of a wealthy Oklahoma lawyer has been released from prison after just 73 days despite her crime leaving a 20-year-old woman in a coma.
Sarah Polston, who is married to tax attorney Rod Polston, was sentenced to eight years in jail after admitting to striking Micaela Borrego’s vehicle with her car in 2023.
However, she was released Thursday morning from the Dr Eddie Warrior Correctional Center thanks to a law designed to alleviate prison overcrowding.
Under the policy, convicted DUI drivers can be eligible for early release with a GPS tag if they meet certain criteria such as having no prior criminal record.
The judge’s decision also came after Polston’s lawyer noted that she paid $5 million to Borrego’s family in insurance.
However, Borrego’s heartbroken mother, Krista Borrego, told News4 that Polston’s early release has only added to their trauma.
‘It just feels very privileged. This is not normal,’ she said. Speaking about her daughter, she added: ‘She has a severe speech impediment.
‘She still has to go to physical therapy and occupational therapy. Her life is forever changed, and she should not be the only one suffering the consequences of Sara Polston.’
Sara Polston was released from prison on Thursday after 73 served and will now be under electronic monitoring in her home after pleading guilty to a DUI in October
Micaela Borrego (pictured), 20, was left in critical condition – locked in a weeks-long coma that would ultimately rob her of the ability to speak, eat and walk
Borrego’s mother, Krista Borrego, was left outraged by Polston’s release, describing it as ‘privileged.’
Borrego suffered horrific injuries when Polston barreled into her vehicle while traveling at 66mph in a 25mph zone in her massive Cadillac Escalade through Norman, Oklahoma City, in February 2023.
At the scene, authorities measured Polston’s blood alcohol content at 0.158 percent – almost twice the legal limit, according to an arrest affidavit obtained by KFOR News.
Last October, Polston pleaded guilty to a DUI charge, and told the court in December that she has changed for the better since the incident.
Polston’s attorney requested her sentence be suspended, and noted a $5 million payment to Borrego’s family as well as Polston’s community service and rehabilitation toward sobriety, KFOR reported.
A judge sentenced Polston to 15 years in prison, and all except eight were suspended, according to the outlet.
Cleveland County District Attorney Jennifer Austin was also frustrated with the decision to grant the DUI driver early release.
‘This is not what the law intends: that a victim can almost be killed and 70 days later, they’re released. We have to do better. This is not okay,’ Austin said.
Austin discovered 21 other offenders release under similar circumstances, but said their offenses were much less severe.
‘I looked at what some of those were, trafficking in drugs, possession with intent, burglaries of autos, not cases that had true victims, that their lives were changed forever,’ she told the outlet.
In a statement to KFOR, the Oklahoma Department of Corrections said that the Global Positioning Satellite Program allows eligible inmates to be reintegrated under ‘strict supervision.’
On February 7, Polston was on her way to pick up her children when she stopped at a liquor store along the route. She allegedly ran several stop signs before colliding with Borrego at the fourth (pictured)
Polston is married to renowned local tax attorney Rod Polston (pictured), and together, the couple live in Norman with their children
Borrego (pictured) has since been transferred to an outpatient facility. Polston is scheduled to be sentenced in December
The statement cited home confinement, work release and community-based treatment as elements of the program.
‘Participants remain in the agency’s custody, are continuously monitored and supervised by Probation and Parole officers, and violations can result in reincarceration. Eligibility is limited to those convicted of qualifying offences with no disqualifying criteria,’ the statement said.
‘Most must be serving 10 years or less and complete at least 30 days at a minimum-security facility. Individuals serving longer sentences may qualify when they are within three years of their projected release date.’
The statement added that all inmates evaluated for the program must meet certain needs and their incarceration details are reviewed.
‘Following that review, case managers develop a recommended case plan tailored to the individual’s needs and eligibility.’
The ODOC wrote that Polston had no disqualifying criteria, no prior criminal record and a ‘successful history of treatment and community service,’ and was therefore eligible.
The Population and Classification unit approved the placement on February 11, according to the ODOC.
‘We anticipated that she would be in custody for 24 months, which would be the quarter that she is required to serve by law until she’s eligible for parole,’ Austin said.
Borrego’s heartbroken mother told the outlet: ‘[the judge] gave her eight years, and with the stroke of a pen, the DOC [Department of Corrections] was able to unravel that.’
