A middle-aged Nebraska surgeon ruined his enviable life after deciding to take part in a street-racing contest that left a 22 year-old woman dead.
Mark Carlson, 63, was sentenced to 10-14 years in prison after he was convicted of the manslaughter killing of Anna Bosma in September, 2023.
The thrillseeking medic was racing another driver when he lost control of his Mercedes and slammed head-on into Bosma’s car at over 100mph, killing her on impact.
Bosma’s boyfriend was in the passenger seat and survived the deadly collision.
The couple, who lived in South Dakota, was in Omaha for a Labor Day getaway when tragedy struck.
Carlson was the director of the Center for Advanced Surgical Technology at the University of Nebraska Medical Center before the crash.
He was married to a respected lawyer, Sarah Gloden, who is the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs and the Creighton University School of Law.
But the two separated sometime after the tragedy, with Gloden keeping their $880,000 mansion, where she now lives with her sons.
Carlson apologized to Bosma’s family during his sentencing on Thursday.
‘I now want to apologize to Anna’s parents, family, friends and community for her death,’ he told the court.
‘I am sorry for the lateness of this apology, which comes 21 months after Anna’s passing. I would give anything to change the events of Sept. 1, 2023.’
Carlson’s lawyers had claimed that he had fainted before the crash and the car’s lane-assist technology kept him on the road while speeding.
However, an engineer testified that the lane-assist was turned off in the car, as reported by First Alert 6.
The doctor has never offered any explanation for why a middle-aged man with a great career, beautiful family and perfect life would risk it all for a quick thrill more becoming of a reckless teenager.
The other driver, Cameron Robinson, was charged in the crash and served as a witness against Carlson. He was sentenced to six months of probation for willful reckless driving.
While the February conviction carried a possible sentence of up to 20 years, Carlson will have the possibility of parole in five.
Bosma’s relatives packed the courtroom and wore shirts honoring her legacy during the sentencing this week.
Her mother Abigail told the court: ‘The first two weeks after Anna was killed was the worst of my life. The week and a half of the trial was a very close second.’
She added: ‘We wanted to wear something that would identify us as a group.
‘But Anna wasn’t a sad person. She was a very happy, vibrant person and we wanted to show that and carry on her legacy.’
Regarding Carlson’s apology in court, Bosma’s father Justin told KETV: ‘It was nice to hear, but it came kind of late at basically in a time when it impacted his sentencing.’