A Kingsley man who struck two pedestrians on Route 11 in New Milford last year, killing them, pleaded guilty Friday in Susquehanna County Court to two misdemeanor counts of involuntary manslaughter.
Brett Bennett, 41, could face up to 10 years in prison on the counts.
District Attorney Jason Legg told the court that Mr. Bennett was driving about 80 mph on Feb. 25, 2012, when he struck and killed Brian Thomas and Edward Turner III. Both were pronounced dead at the scene.
Mr. Bennett agreed to reimburse the victim's compensation fund for the men's funeral expenses.
Mr. Legg said Mr. Bennett's action of driving 80 mph in a 35-mph zone was reckless and negligent.
"Two pedestrians were both killed as a result of driving at a high rate of speed," Mr. Legg said.
Mr. Bennett was originally charged with two felony counts of homicide by vehicle while driving under the influence, two felony counts of homicide by vehicle, and a misdemeanor count of DUI, among other traffic offenses.
Those charges, except for two DUI counts, were withdrawn by the district attorney. Mr. Legg explained to the court that the original plea deal offered to Mr. Bennett included the DUI charges.
Mr. Bennett has elected to go to trial on the DUI charges. The two counts were separated from the case before the court on Friday.
A bench trial, to be heard by President Judge Kenneth Seamans, for the DUI counts is scheduled for Thursday.
According to court documents, Mr. Bennett's blood-alcohol content after the crash was 0.148 percent. The legal limit for driving is 0.08 percent.
On the scene, Mr. Bennett told state troopers that he had been driving faster than he should have been.
He told police he tried to swerve to avoid the men but the men also moved and he hit them, court documents state.
The crash occurred at 2:21 a.m. as Mr. Bennett was traveling south on Route 11. According to court documents, he told police he had been drinking at a bar in Hallstead, about seven miles north of the crash scene.
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