The man accused of being behind the wheel of the car that hit a livery cab carrying a popular Maspeth bar owner on October 15, 2011, is reportedly negotiating a plea deal with the Queens District Attorney's Officer.

That accident killed George Gibbons. He was only 37 years old.

This was not Peter Rodriguez's first run-in with the law. He has a lengthy rap sheet with charges that include several violent crimes, including an incident he was involved in behind bars that resulted in the death of a fellow inmate.

How he was even out on the street, let alone allowed to be speeding the wrong way down frontage road of the Long Island Expressway that fateful October morning is behind comprehension.

But rest assured, if he accepts the plea deal he will be off the streets again. For 3 1/2 to 7 years.

That will be the measly sentence that Rodriguez will receive for taking the life of George Gibbons in return for pleading guilty and avoiding a trial. It's simply not enough.

This isn't the case of somebody making one tragic mistake; this is the case of somebody repeatedly running afoul of the law - in a violent manner, nonetheless - and putting members of society in literally life-or-death situations by his actions.

If Rodriguez had a clean record and in this one instance made a horrible mistake that will scar him for life and the remorse that he feels for his actions will stay with him forever, then maybe a sentence of 3 1/2 to 7 years would be warranted.

But Rodriguez has shown time and time again through his lengthy arrest record that he doesn't learn from his mistakes.

Rodriguez didn't make one bad decision that took the life of George Gibbons and forever changed the lives of his family and friends, he's been making those decisions his entire life.

And in a short seven years – in the best case scenario, that is - he'll be back out on the street and free to make those same bad decisions all over again.

That's not justice.