Defendant takes plea deal in crash that killed two
By THE BAKERSFIELD CALIFORNIAN
A drunken driver who crashed and killed two people -- including a 4-year-old -- after losing control of his vehicle in early September pleaded no contest Tuesday to two counts of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated.
Lonnie Eugene Haynes III is scheduled to be sentenced Feb. 21, according to court records. Charges of DUI causing bodily injury and willful cruelty to a child were dismissed.
Haynes, 26, was driving north on Highway 99 early Sept. 2 when he left the California Avenue offramp, lost control of his car and veered off the roadway, according to the California Highway Patrol. The car overturned several times and came to a rest on its roof.
Quani Pulley, 4, was thrown from the car and died at the scene, officers said. Jared Roberts, 23, was also pronounced dead at the scene.
In addition, a 5-year-old passenger was flown to Children's Hospital Central California in Madera for treatment of injuries, officers said. Haynes suffered moderate injuries, and was arrested after being treated at Kern Medical Center.
Haynes pleaded no contest in 2010 to driving while his license was suspended or revoked, according to court records.
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