photo by: Chris Conde/Journal-World

Matthew David Zaitz is pictured during a hearing on Jan. 10, 2023, in Douglas County District Court. Zaitz was convicted of one count of aggravated battery and one count of driving under the influence in connection with a crash on Oct. 3, 2020.

A Topeka man was sentenced Friday in Douglas County District Court to more than four years in prison for a 2020 DUI crash that seriously injured his passenger, the Douglas County district attorney announced in a news release Monday.

The man, Matthew David Zaitz, 34, was sentenced to 52 months in prison in connection with a wreck that occurred in the early-morning hours on Oct. 3, 2020, near the intersection of North 1500 Road and East 1750 Road. Zaitz and a then-35-year-old female passenger were discovered injured after their vehicle had left the roadway and crashed in a nearby field. Zaitz and his passenger, who were both found outside the vehicle, suffered serious injuries.

Zaitz was convicted in November 2022. Judge Amy Hanley on Friday imposed concurrent prison terms of 52 months for aggravated battery and 12 months for driving under the influence.

“I am committed to keeping our streets safe and my office will pursue accountability when someone makes the choice to drive impaired,” District Attorney Valdez said in the release. “Driving under the influence is a senseless act that can have devastating consequences on our entire community.”