Teen Driver Pleads Guilty in Deadly Crash

A teenaged driver pleaded guilty in Juvenile Court Monday to charges raised against him for his role in an accident that killed his two passengers almost four months ago in San Diego.

The accident took place on April 4th in the eastbound lanes of State Route 52 where 16-year-old Zach Bishop and another teenaged driver, 18-year-old Michael S. Johnson, were racing at speeds of up to 100 miles per hour when Bishop lost control of his car, a Volkswagen Passat, and crashed.

The accident left the German sedan completely destroyed, coming to rest on its roof, and killed 16-year-old Jayli Campbell and 18-year-old Anthony Foreman who were passengers inside.

After an investigation into the accident, authorities issued a warrant for Bishop’s arrest on April 12th. He turned himself in to local police upon learning about the warrant.

At Bishop’s original arraignment, his defense attorney James Dicks tried to convince the judge that the car’s accelerator pedal had gotten stuck while trying to pass another vehicle, therefore making the crash an unintentional incident, but an investigation into the crash showed that no such malfunction had happened in the vehicle.

It was also noted by the prosecution that Bishop has a history of dangerous driving, having been cited for driving over 90 miles per hour on State Route 125 in February.

Sentencing is set for July 16th with Judge Browder Willis, where he faces a maximum of seven years and four months in restricted custody for his guilty plea of two counts of gross vehicular manslaughter resulting in death.

Michael S. Johnson pleaded not guilty to his own charges of gross vehicular manslaughter last Thursday, and now faces trail which is set to begin in September.

If you or someone you know has been in an accident caused by a young, angst-ridden teen driver racing one of his friends, you need help. Depending on the particulars of your crash, you may be entitled to compensation which we at AA Accident Attorneys can help you recover in full. We are a group of professional San Diego accident lawyers with many years of experience helping people just like you.

We can help you win settlement from all of the liable parties involved in your accident so you can pay off any expensive medical bills or car repair payments that may have been thrust upon you as a result of your ordeal. We will not charge you a thing until your case is won. Call our accident lawyers today for your free evaluation and to discover what options are available to you!

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