Plea agreement in negligent homicide case

A 53-year-old man will have to serve at least three years in prison, although the possible penalty he faces is five years in prison. The charge is negligent homicide from a crash last year in Davidsonville.

The man, who is from Queen Anne’s County, Maryland, pleaded guilty to the charge. In May of last year, the man was driving a Lexus on Route 50 when he lost control after going through a puddle. In the passenger seat was a 49-year-old woman. The woman was getting a ride to a friend’s house and blew into the man’s ignition interlock device so he could drive.

After losing control of the Lexus, the car went off the road and started to spin. The passenger side of the Lexus crashed into the guardrail, fatally injuring the woman.

The Maryland State Police responded to the accident and found the man had a “strong odor” of alcohol. His blood alcohol concentration was later determined to be .08 percent. He was charged with several offenses including negligent homicide while under the influence, negligent manslaughter and negligence homicide while impaired.

Wet road conditions and rain were deemed contributing factors in the crash, as was alcohol. The driver’s bail was set at $1.5 million. He said at a hearing on Dec. 7 that he was taking medication schizophrenia and manic depression, which are not supposed to be taken with alcohol.

If you are facing DUI or negligent homicide charges, you have a right to a fair trial. You also have a right to accept a plea bargain from the prosecution. Plea bargains are not the best option for everyone. Your attorney can provide more information about whether a plea bargain is worth accepting in your case.

Source: Capital Gazette, “Man pleads guilty to negligent homicide in fatal crash on Route 50,” Tim Pratt, Dec. 07, 2015