Driver, 21, Pleads No Contest To Vehicular Homicide
18-Year-Old Killed In Crash
Updated: 2:19 AM MDT Jul 10, 2006
A young driver who crashed his car into a tree in September 2004, killing one of his passengers pleaded no contest to the charges against him Monday. Police said the then-19-year-old blew a .09.The charge in the case of Josh Benavidez is not DWI, but rather "great bodily injury -- wreckless" and "vehicular homicide -- wreckless." Police said Benavediz was heading down Edith Road when the one-vehicle crash happened. He had three passengers in the car with him, and 18-year-old Dominick Medina was killed.The victim's father spoke to Action 7 News after Monday's court proceeding. He said he'd hoped Benavidez would be taken to jail right away after he pleaded no contest to the charges. But Benavidez won't face jail time until after the sentencing later this summer.Benavidez faces up to six years in prison if he gets the maximum sentence on both charges.Mothers Against Drunk Driving said the prosecutors dropped the DWI charge because it would have been too hard to prove.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. —
A young driver who crashed his car into a tree in September 2004, killing one of his passengers pleaded no contest to the charges against him Monday.
Police said the then-19-year-old blew a .09.
The charge in the case of Josh Benavidez is not DWI, but rather "great bodily injury -- wreckless" and "vehicular homicide -- wreckless." Police said Benavediz was heading down Edith Road when the one-vehicle crash happened. He had three passengers in the car with him, and 18-year-old Dominick Medina was killed.
The victim's father spoke to Action 7 News after Monday's court proceeding. He said he'd hoped Benavidez would be taken to jail right away after he pleaded no contest to the charges. But Benavidez won't face jail time until after the sentencing later this summer.
Benavidez faces up to six years in prison if he gets the maximum sentence on both charges.
Mothers Against Drunk Driving said the prosecutors dropped the DWI charge because it would have been too hard to prove.