A 59-year-old man has been sentenced to 131 years in prison for a 2018 DUI crash that killed a motorcyclist in Cullman County.

Circuit Judge Martha Williams sentenced Brett Amerson following his April conviction on reckless murder, DUI and other charges, Cullman County District Attorney Champ Crocker announced.

Killed in the Dec. 18, 2018, crash was 39-year-old Bradley Ray Patterson.

Amerson had 11 prior DUI arrests when Patterson was killed.

Crocker and his staff asked for the maximum sentence because of Amerson’s “egregious crime and lengthy criminal history.”

The crash happened on Highway 157near the 310 exit overpass. Authorities said the intoxicated Amerson – who was three times the legal limit – was driving a white box truck that struck Patterson while he was on a motorcycle and had the right of way.

Amerson fled the scene found a short time later by Cullman County sheriff’s deputies.

Crocker said members of the Patterson family were present at the sentencing hearing and delivered victim impact statements. He said the family contacted his office within just a few days of Crocker’s team taking office in January and asked them to review this case.

“I am so proud we achieved justice for the family of Bradley Patterson,’’ Crocker said after Amerson’s April conviction. “I felt an obligation to see this 2018 case be one of the first cases tried after taking office so that justice could be served.”