Covina Man Pleads Guilty To 2nd-Degree Murder In Double Fatal DUI Crash
POMONA (CBS) — A Covina man pleaded guilty Wednesday to two counts of second-degree murder for a fatal DUI crash in La Verne that killed two female passengers.
Alan Michael McConnell, 28, is facing 15 years to life in prison when he is sentenced April 22 by Pomona Superior Court Judge Tia Fisher.
McConnell was already facing a misdemeanor DUI case for a solo-vehicle crash on November 7, 2009.
In the January 23, 2010 fatal crash, McConnell was in a minor collision at Foothill Boulevard and Damien Avenue and was fleeing that crash when he lost control of his vehicle, smashing into a center divider and a tree at Foothill and Wheeler Avenue.
His two passengers -- Telassie Dague, 22, and Renee Hardy, 20, both of Alta Loma -- were killed.
According to prosecutors, McConnell had a 0.15 blood-alcohol level at the time of the crash.
In exchange for his plea, misdemeanor charges of hit-and-run driving, driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, driving while having a 0.08 percent or higher blood-alcohol level and driving on a suspended license were dismissed.
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