HARTFORD — A Hartford man who police said drove drunk and caused a fiery crash that led to the death of an elderly man has pleaded guilty.
The Hartford Courant reports 44-year-old Alexander Rivera entered the plea Monday under the Alford doctrine to charges that include second-degree manslaughter with a motor vehicle. Under the doctrine, a defendant doesn’t admit guilt but acknowledges there’s enough evidence for a conviction.
Authorities said Rivera was traveling westbound in August 2015 when he hit an eastbound vehicle, shoving it backward 52 feet. The car then came to a rest and caught fire.
Prosecutors said the vehicle’s passenger, 81-year-old Lawrence Trim, suffered injuries that left him a quadriplegic. He died about eight months later.
Rivera faces six years in prison when he’s sentenced Jan. 20.
