A Pasco man on Thursday admitted he was recklessly driving when he crashed his car on Interstate 82, killing his friend.
Favian Castro, 22, pleaded guilty in Benton County Superior Court to one count of vehicular homicide.
Castro and three friends were heading to a Umatilla bar April 23 when he lost control on the highway three miles east of Kennewick near Locust Grove Road, court documents said.
He was headed east in his 1994 Honda Accord at about 10:30 p.m. when he went through the center median into the highway's westbound lanes and rolled. The Honda ended up on the right shoulder.
According to court documents, a motorist told Washington State Patrol troopers that he was westbound when he saw the car coming through the median toward him. He told troopers he saw someone being thrown from the rolling Honda.
Michael A. Hernandez, who turned 21 nine days earlier, was declared dead at the scene.
Hernandez, a back seat passenger, was not wearing a seat belt. He died from head injuries, documents said.
Troopers found Castro in the driver's seat "clutching the steering wheel," court documents said. Troopers also reported smelling intoxicants coming from inside the car.
Paramedics and firefighters had to cut Castro's seat belt to get him out. He was treated at Kadlec Regional Medical Center in Richland for a day before being booked into jail.
Also injured were passengers Lucio M. Mendoza, 22, who suffered multiple broken bones, and Jose E. Carcamo, 23, who only had a cut on his hand, documents said.
Carcamo, the front seat passenger, reportedly told troopers that Castro was in the left lane "when he started to drift to the right, then swerved back to his left and lost control of the car."
He also said the men "had all been consuming alcohol" and that Castro was driving fast and "screwing around."
Castro acknowledged in court Wednesday that he was recklessly driving.
He had no felony convictions before this case, so the standard range for his crime is one year and nine months to two years and three months in prison.
Prosecutor Andy Miller said he will recommend a two-year sentence. Sentencing is Feb. 9.
Castro hugged good-bye to family and friends before the hearing.
He will be held without bail in the Benton County jail until he is sentenced.
