Man pleads guilty to vehicular homicide, other charges in connection with fatal Thanksgiving car crash

Greeley Tribune (CO)

Feb. 15--The man accused of causing the death of a 19-year-old Severance man and injuring a Windsor teen in an alcohol-related crash early Thanksgiving morning appeared in a full courtroom Wednesday to plead guilty to four charges stemming from that incident.

Alex Rodriguez, 25, pleaded guilty to vehicular homicide, vehicular assault, driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, and driving without proof of insurance. His entire sentence is left to the discretion of the court, said Weld District Court Judge Thomas Quammen, and he will be sentenced in April.

In the early hours of Nov. 24, Weld County Sheriff's deputies received calls about a gray Jeep, later determined to be driven by Rodriguez, traveling south in the northbound lanes of Interstate 25.

A Weld County sheriff's deputy tried to get Rodriguez's attention by turning on his emergency lights. Rodriguez kept driving the wrong direction, according to an arrest affidavit.

Rodriguez crashed head-on with another car heading north, in the area near the Erie exit in southern Weld County. Two Weld teenagers were in the car -- Nash Rider, 16, of Windsor, was driving, and Kyle Nackos, 19, of Severance, was a passenger. Nackos was pronounced dead on the scene about 3:20 a.m. when first responders arrived. Rider suffered life-threatening injuries and was taken to Good Samaritan Medical Center in Lafayette.

Rodriguez's court appearance was brief, lasting just long enough for him to enter the necessary guilty pleas and for attorneys to schedule his sentencing hearing, which is expected to last two hours. If Quammen determines there are aggravating circumstances in the case, Rodriguez could face up to 36 years in prison.