NEW YORK MAN TO BE SENTENCED IN FATAL ACCIDENT

A 21-year-old New York man has pleaded guilty to causing a crash that killed his fiancée and severely injured another motorist. The man was initially indicted on a number of felonies, including first-degree reckless endangerment, second-degree assault, vehicular homicide, second degree manslaughter, driving while impaired, second-degree vehicular assault, vehicular manslaughter and reckless driving.The serious auto accident at the center of the crash occurred in June of 2011 as the suspect and his fiancée were traveling to a beach. The suspect reportedly failed to obey a stop sign, causing his vehicle to slam into a southbound SUV and severely injuring its driver. While the suspect did not suffer any noteworthy injuries, his fiancée died at the site of the wreck.Prosecutors offered a plea deal to the suspect, pledging to drop most of the charges if he agreed to plead guilty to one felony count of second-degree vehicular manslaughter and two misdemeanors for driving while impaired, and a third additional charge of third-degree aggravated assault. He is expected to be sentenced to one year in prison for each misdemeanor, though he will be allowed to serve those sentences at the same time. He will likely receive a sentence of between one and three years in prison for the felony count.Although the suspect will receive jail time for his role in the fatal crash, he could also potentially face a civil lawsuit. His fiancée’s family may decide to file a wrongful death lawsuit in order to claim damages compensating them for the pain and suffering they endured following the death of their loved one. Likewise, the other motorist could file a personal injury claim requesting money to cover his medical bills and other expenses. It is unclear whether either party intends to pursue such legal action.

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