A Lakeland man has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for a wrong-way crash that killed three people.
The Associated Press reports that 28-year-old Michael Joseph Marrero pleaded guilty Monday as part of a deal with prosecutors. His trial was set to begin this week.
Witnesses say Marrero appeared to be racing another car in July 2016 in the southbound lanes of U.S. 98 in Lakeland. The other car cut Marrero off, causing him to veer into the oncoming lanes and crash into another car, killing the driver and two passengers.
Authorities say 22-year-old Christopher Lee Stewart Jr. and 22-year-old Katherine Renee Pitock died at the scene, while 25-year-old Brittany Daniel Lewis died several hours later at a nearby hospital.