NATCHEZ — An Adams County woman will serve five years in prison for fatally running over a man with her vehicle in August 2014.

Alyssa Brooke Standeford, 26, 37B Cloverdale Drive, pleaded guilty to manslaughter Thursday in connection with the Aug. 4, 2014, death of Kory DeWitt, 25.

Following her plea, Circuit Judge Lillie Blackmon Sanders sentenced Standeford to 10 years prison with five years to be served and five years suspended.

The case opened at 3 a.m. Aug. 4, when Standeford called the sheriff’s office from Lower Woodville Road and said she had run over DeWitt, who had been in the vehicle with her.

At the time, she reportedly told investigators DeWitt had gotten out of the vehicle while she tried to park and she had run over him, not realizing he was in the way until she had run him over and heard him banging on the bottom of the car.

Standeford was initially charged with culpable negligence manslaughter, though Adams County Coroner James Lee said at the time he considered the case a homicide and did not think it was accidental.

Standeford reportedly told investigators at the time she was under the influence of Xanax and Lorcet.

After reviewing the evidence, Justice Court Judge Patricia Dunmore upgraded the charge to first-degree murder, and an Adams County grand jury followed through with an indictment on the same charge.

District Attorney Ronnie Harper said Friday a murder charge would have required proving malice and forethought.

“Under the circumstances of that case, intent or premeditation was going to be our biggest hurdle,” he said.

Harper declined to comment on the sentencing, but said the district attorney’s office did not offer any sentencing recommendation with the entering of the plea.

“Judges have a very serious and heavy duty to do what they have to do, and I respect their process in that,” he said.

Standeford is currently being detained in the Adams County jail.