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SALT LAKE CITY -- A man who walked away from a drunk driving crash that killed his passenger took a plea deal Tuesday morning.
John F. Bishop, 37, was scheduled to stand trial Tuesday on 11 separate charges, but instead pleaded guilty in 3rd District Court to automobile homicide, a second-degree felony, and two counts of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, a third-degree felony.
In April of 2009, Bishop was driving on I-80 near the mouth of Parley's Canyon. Witnesses say he was driving upwards of 140 miles per hour when he rear-ended an SUV.
Six people were injured in the accident and one man, 26-year-old Jason Palmer, was killed. Palmer and four of the injured victims were passengers in Bishop's BMW.
Bishop fled the crash scene, but police tracked him down when he sought treatment at a hospital. His blood-alcohol level was 0.10. The legal limit in Utah is 0.08.
Bishop was initially charged with four counts of driving under the influence and causing serious bodily injury, third degree felonies; two counts of driving under the influence and causing bodily injury, Class A misdemeanors; one count of leaving the scene of an accident involving injury, a Class A misdemeanor; one count of reckless driving, a Class B misdemeanor; and one count of alcohol restricted driver, a Class B misdemeanor.
A civil lawsuit was also filed against Bishop by one of his passengers, Clifton Tolboe, who claims Bishop was negligent in his action.
Attorneys for Bishop had argued in 2010 for the homicide charge to be dropped.
Bishop will be sentenced August 22.
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Written with contributions from Emiley Morgan.
