A Zephyrhills woman faces up to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty Tuesday to DUI-manslaughter and eight other charges.
Heather A. Dison, 35, will be sentenced Dec. 22 in Pasco-Pinellas Circuit Court. She will await sentencing in Land O' Lakes Jail.
Authorities blamed Dison for a three-car crash in June 2007 that killed one man and injured four other people. The accident happened on U.S. 301 near Desrosier Road, which is north of Dade City.
Investigators said Dison drove her pickup north in the southbound lanes of U.S. 301 and struck a car driven by Jason Hamilton. Hamilton, 23, of Dade City, was killed, and his passenger was injured.
A third car, driven by Cedric Washington of Dade City, struck a ladder that had fallen from Dison's truck onto the road. The impact sent Washington's vehicle into a utility pole, injuring him and one of his passengers, authorities said.
Investigators said Dison had a blood-alcohol level of 0.251 percent and had been driving 70 mph in a 55 mph zone. Florida law presumes a driver impaired at a blood-alcohol level of 0.08 percent.
Todd Leskanic
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