Cop in fatal wrong-way crash rejects deal, will face trial


Save Story
Leer en español

Estimated read time: Less than a minute

This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.

NEW YORK (AP) — A former New Jersey police officer charged with a drunken driving crash that killed a fellow officer and another man has turned down a plea deal and will face trial.

Pedro Abad's lawyer said after a court hearing Wednesday that prosecutors offered a deal for up to 21 years in prison. He faces up to 25 years if he is convicted. Abad's attorney, Mario Gallucci, had sought a prison sentence of five to 15 years.

Abad crashed while driving the wrong way on a highway in Staten Island in 2015.

Linden Police Officer Frank Viggiano and Linden resident Joseph Rodriguez were killed. Another officer was seriously injured.

Authorities say Abad had a blood-alcohol level of .24. That's three times the legal limit.

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Most recent U.S. stories

Related topics

U.S.
The Associated Press

    STAY IN THE KNOW

    Get informative articles and interesting stories delivered to your inbox weekly. Subscribe to the KSL.com Trending 5.
    By subscribing, you acknowledge and agree to KSL.com's Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

    KSL Weather Forecast