A man has pleaded guilty to four felony charges related to a DUI crash that killed a couple and injured two young children, as reported by the Missoulian. The man, a vice chairman of the Thomson Falls School Board, now awaits Judge C.B. McNeil's decision whether or not to accept his plea deal.
L.P. faces a prison sentence, fines and restitution.
Missoula-based attorney Lance Jasper is representing L.P. Jasper said that L.P. "wanted to take accountability, and didn't want it to drag out. A lot of these situations can drag out for a long time. By taking accountability early, hopefully the victims' families and the town can heal some."
Approximately 20 minutes before midnight on September 8 L.P. drive his 2009 Toyota Tacoma over the centerline of Prospect Creek Road near Thompson Falls. L.P. crashed head-on into a 1994 Saturn and killed a couple engaged to be married: the driver J.B., 32 and his front seat passenger, C.R., 23.
The accident also left J.B's passengers, his two children, aged two and four, seriously injured though each was secured in a safety belt in the car's rear seats.
The four charges against L.P. included two counts of vehicular homicide DUI and two counts of criminal endangerment.
L.P. was accused of driving with an alcohol level over three times the legal limit – 0.245 percent.
If L.P.'s plea agreement is accepted he faces up to 15 years on each homicide charge, 10 suspended on each, and would be incarcerated with the Montana Department of Corrections. The jail time can be run consecutively.
Following the prison time, L.P. would be obligated to make 10 yearly presentations in Sanders County high schools to lecture on the dangers of DUI.
L.P. is also to pay restitutions to the family of J.B. and C.R. in the amount of $7,267.07 in total.
Additionally, L.P. will face a maximum of 10 years for each of the two criminal endangerment charges – with all of the time suspended on those.
Bob Zimmerman, the Sanders County Attorney, would not comment as to how the families have responded to the plea agreement, only that it had been discussed. Zimmerman told reporters, "I would leave that to them."
Reporters were unable to reach the families for their comments.
Prior to the plea arrangement, L.P. faced up to 30 years in prison and/or up to $100,000 in fines for the two homicides. On the criminal endangerment charges L.P. faced up to 10 years in prison and/or $50,000 in fines.
Judge McNeil has ordered a pre-sentence investigation of the crash and asked if L.P. had any prior convictions. According to the county attorney, L.P. was convicted of DUI in February of 2011 in Gallatin County.
L.P. will wear a secure remote alcohol-monitoring device while he awaits his sentencing.
McNeil is not bound by the plea agreement.
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