A man who drove into an Escondido house while he was allegedly under the influence plead guilty to all charges in court on Tuesday.
Brandon Morris, 23, plead guilty to three charges including having a blood-alcohol content higher than .08 during the incident.
The incident happened on Feb. 9. Police said Morris was so drunk that he slammed his truck into an Escondido home, critically injuring the homeowner Tony Vidaurri.
Vidaurri had just returned from walking his two dogs and was standing in his yard at the time of the crash. He was pinned underneath the pickup truck until emergency crews arrived. They used airbags to lift the truck off Vidaurri and then transported him to the hospital.
Witnesses said Morris could barely stand after the crash at the corner of Eveningside Glen and Country Club Lane.
Morris had a previous DUI and prosecutors said Morris was already on probation for the earlier incident.
Morris faces a maximum of seven years in state prison and will be sentenced next month.
“I’m very happy he took responsibility early on,” said Deputy District Attorney Laurie Hauf. “It’s a very serious case and one that deserves serious punishment.”
Hauf said they will be asking for the maximum amount.
Vidaurri was also at the trial, and said he appreciated that Morris plead guilty.
“It’s bittersweet…he manned up and is taking full responsibility,” Vidaurri said. “It’s said, you know, I feel bad for him at the same time. He’s a young kid.”
Vidaurri had turned down a plea bargain earlier that day.
“My family has had to pay the full consequences for this man’s actions,” Vidaurri's wife said. “We’re just asking that he pay the consequences for his.”
Follow NBCSanDiego for the latest news, weather, and events: iPad App | iPhone App | Android App | Facebook | Twitter | Google+ | Instagram | RSS | Text Alerts | Email Alerts
