An Encinitas man accused of striking a woman, checking on her condition and then driving away pleaded guilty Wednesday.
Justin Walt Parker entered a guilty plea Wednesday to charges stemming from a crash in September 2017. Parker was driving a white, Ford F-150 pickup on Encinitas Boulevard when he struck 33-year-old mother Ashley Mullins Lane.
Parker previously pleaded not guilty to hit-and-run causing serious bodily injury or death at an arraignment hearing in October. On Wednesday, his plea was changed.
After Parker hit Mullins on Sept. 22, he got out of his car, saw her, spoke to people at the scene, and then got back into his car and drove away, Deputy District Attorney Robert Bruce said at his October arraignment.
"We believe he knew the seriousness of her injuries and drove away anyways," Bruce said.
A search warrant served at a custom automotive shop in Riverside uncovered Parker's truck and additional evidence, according to investigators.
Bruce said the truck had been repaired after the crash.
The 33-year-old mother was hospitalized for nearly a month with serious head, spine, pelvis and limb injuries. She was then transferred to a rehabilitation facility for recovery.
Parker is expected to be sentenced on March 12.
