PORTLAND (AP) – A proposed law spurred by the highway death of a Scarborough woman calls for mandatory jail sentences, impounding vehicles and hefty fines for motorists who are repeatedly caught driving after their licenses are suspended.

The legislation, unveiled Monday, is being called “Tina’s Law” in memory of Tina Turcotte, 40, who died after a tractor-trailer driven by Scott Hewitt of Caribou rear-ended her car July 29 on Interstate 95 in Hallowell.

Her death drew outrage after it was revealed that Hewitt had a driving record of 63 convictions and 22 license suspensions, and had been involved in a previous fatal accident.

“This legislation is to say enough is enough,” said Rep. Darlene Curley, R-Scarborough, who is sponsoring the bill with Sen. Bill Diamond, D-Windham. “We’re going to be tough on this crime and we’re going to be focusing on this problem.”

Details of the proposal were unveiled at a news conference at the Cumberland County Jail attended by Curley, Diamond, Turcotte’s parents, her husband and Cumberland County Sheriff Mark Dion.

If the proposal becomes law, those caught driving with a suspended license would have their vehicles impounded for the duration of the suspension. Drivers who have their licenses suspended multiple times due to traffic violations in a three-year period would have their licenses revoked, and could be sent to jail if caught driving during that time.

The law would also mandate jail time and fines of up to $5,000 for repeat offenders, and raise the penalties for people driving on a suspended license who are involved in an accident that causes injury or death.

The law will come up for debate before the full Legislature when lawmakers return to the State House in January. If passed, it could become law by early to midsummer.

Diamond said the numbers speak to the problem.

More than 8,000 people in Maine have had their licenses suspended 15 times or more, he said, and more than 44,000 have had their licenses suspended five to nine times. Since 1996, there has been a 42 percent increase in the number of people arrested for operating after suspension, according to the Secretary of State’s Office.

Hewitt wouldn’t have been on the road last summer if the proposed legislation had been on the books, Diamond said.

“It can’t be ignored. I believe there are accidents out there waiting to happen if we don’t change the law and change people’s attitudes,” Diamond said.

Hewitt remains in the Kennebec County Jail awaiting trial on nine misdemeanor charges he faces in connection with the July 29 accident.

Prosecutors said a vehicular manslaughter charge was ruled out by findings of the investigation into the crash that Hewitt was not impaired and that speed and the condition of his truck were not factors.