CLEARWATER, Fla. (AP) - A Tampa Bay area man has pleaded guilty in a hit-and-run crash that killed a couple riding a tandem bicycle.
As part of a deal with Pinellas County prosecutors, Christopher Weed pleaded guilty Wednesday to one count of leaving the scene of a crash involving death. The 30-year-old is scheduled to be formally sentenced to 11 years in prison on May 19. He faced a possible 30-year sentence if convicted at trial.
Authorities say 25-year-old Robert Lemon and 27-year-old Hilary Michalak were riding their bike on Memorial Causeway in Clearwater last September when Weed’s vehicle struck them. Lemon died a short time later at a nearby hospital, while Michalak survived for a couple weeks.
Surveillance video shows Weed drinking alcohol before the crash.
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