The driver of a boat that crashed on Skaneateles Lake last summer, killing a vacationing couple, was sentenced in Onondaga County Court Wednesday to 3 1/3 to 10 years in prison.

Under a plea bargain, Craig Cordes, of Onondaga, pleaded guilty last month to vehicular manslaughter for the July 8 crash. The crash occurred after Cordes had spent the night drinking with friends at Skaneateles bars.

The boat he was operating crashed into another boat, killing John Kelly and Heather Wilkins of Richmond, Va.

Police say Cordes and his friends left without helping Kelly and Wilkins and didn't contact authorities.

At Wednesday's sentencing, Onondaga County Judge Anthony Aloi said lawmakers should pass legislation making it a crime for anyone in a vehicle - not just the driver - to leave the scene of a crash.

Police said Cordes turned around to pick up two passengers who had fallen out of his boat during the crash but did not check on Kelly or Wilkins before continuing to his family's lakeside camp.

Cordes contacted police two hours after the accident to see if anyone else had reported the crash.

When Cordes pleaded guilty last month, his attorney, James McGraw, said that Cordes was remorseful and that Kelly should share some of the responsibility for the accident because he had also been drinking and had turned off his boat's lights.

Onondaga County District Attorney Matthew Doran said it was inappropriate for the defense to make such comments and pointed out that if the case had gone to trial he would have shown that Wilkins was operating the other boat, not Kelly. Doran also said that evidence collected from the scene pointed to the fact that the victims' boat had lights on.