Driver Pleads No Contest to Manslaughter, DUI in Crash
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A Rosamond man pleaded no contest Monday to charges stemming from a collision last July in Lancaster that killed four people.
Shawn Eugene Beavers, 27, entered his plea in Lancaster Superior Court to two counts of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and to one count of driving under the influence of drugs with allegations of great bodily injury. Under a plea bargain, he will be sentenced April 23 to 13 years, eight months in prison, court officials said.
Two additional counts of gross vehicular manslaughter and one count of drunk driving will be dropped, officials said.
Beavers was driving a Jeep Cherokee on Sierra Highway at speeds of up to 100 mph when he rear-ended a pickup, crossed the center divider and slammed head-on into a Lexus sport utility vehicle driven by Dr. John Fisher of the High Desert Hemodialysis Center and carrying four of his co-workers.
Killed were Fisher’s passengers Mark Rittenberg, 52, and his wife, Mary, 41, both of Palmdale, and Georgina Schmidt, 43, of Lancaster. Beavers’ passenger, Therese Frisch, 38, of Lancaster, also died. Fisher and his fourth passenger were injured.
Beavers has four prior convictions, among them burglary and possession of drugs. He has been in custody for a parole violation since the crash.
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