University of Wisconsin student Cara Erickson, 22, was arrested early Friday when Madison police officers discovered she had been drinking alcohol, a violation of her probation for killing 17-year-old Jason Skaanning while driving drunk.

Erickson killed Skaanning of Sun Prairie Aug. 27, 2000. Since her charge of Homicide by Intoxicated Use of Vehicle in 2001, she has violated her probation three known times, according to Stephanie Hove, the assistant regional chief of the state Division of Community Corrections.

Hove said Erickson was discovered by Madison police officers when they pulled over a car and recognized Erickson as the passenger.

“At this point, we have conducted investigations of her violation,” Hove said. “Based on what we have, we believe she has violated [her probation]. Her term of supervision is revoked.”

Erickson will appear before a court and could face up to 40 years in prison for a Class B felony, according to Hove. Her original sentence, nine months of jail time and probation with a number of conditions, is very rare. A Homicide by Intoxicated Use of Vehicle usually leads to a long prison sentence, Hove added.

Dennis Skaanning, the father of Jason, said Erickson’s initial sentence of one year in jail with work release privileges was “extremely lenient.”

“This is the third time since she was sentenced for killing my son — the third time that she has been caught — that she has chosen to break the terms of her probation and I wonder how many second chances she gets,” Dennis Skaanning said. “I don’t feel like the justice system is delivering any justice.”

Erickson’s sentence was an “inconvenience,” not a punishment, he added.

The crash occurred at 5:37 a.m. while Jason Skaaning was delivering Sunday morning papers. Erickson had consumed alcohol and smoked marijuana while at a party, Dennis Skaanning said. She had already been home once but then decided to drive her boyfriend, who lived approximately three-quarters of a mile away, to his house, he said.

According to Dennis Skaanning, Erickson passed out while driving back and slammed into the back of his son’s car while driving 58 miles per hour in a 35 mile per hour zone. The car was pushed into a ditch, turned on its side and eventually exploded, he said.

Dennis Skaanning said many people comment on Erickson’s future, saying, “let her go on with her life.”

“That’s a great comment,” Skaanning said. “My request would be bring my son back and let him go on with his life. He made no choices that were bad that night.”

An annual blood drive is held in Jason Skaanning’s honor on his birthday.

“We’re trying to do something good out of a terribly negative situation and it also serves as a reminder,” Dennis Skaanning said.