The drunk driver responsible for the death of Colts linebacker Edwin Jackson has pleaded guilty in the case.
Manuel Orrego-Savala, 37, is facing up to 16 years in prison after pleading guilty to two counts of causing death of another person when operating a vehicle with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.15 percent or more, according to the Associated Press.
Orrego-Savala killed Jackson and his Uber driver, Jeffrey Monroe, on Feb. 4 after hitting them with his truck while driving on an interstate in Indianapolis. Orrego-Savala had a blood-alcohol content of .19 at the time of the crash, which is nearly 2 1/2 times Indiana's .08 legal limit for driving.
Besides the prison time, Orrego-Savala also can be fined up to $20,000. He is scheduled to be sentenced Sept. 14.
The crash took place in the early morning hours of Super Bowl Sunday after Monroe pulled his car over into the emergency lane of the interstate because Jackson was feeling sick. Both men were standing outside of Monroe's vehicle when Orrego-Savala careened into the emergency lane and struck them both.
Although Orrego-Savala attempted to flea the scene of the incident, he won't face any punishment for that because prosecutors agreed to drop two charges of failing to remain at the scene in exchange for Friday's guilty plea.
Orrego-Savala is facing multiple other charges. According to the Associated Press, Orrega-Savala was charged with perjury, forgery and identity deception after giving false identification. At the time he was arrested, Orrego-Savala identified himself as Alex Cabrera Gonsales.
Orrego-Savala, from Guatemala, is also facing a federal charge of illegal re-entry by a previously deported alien. He had been deported from the U.S. twice (2007 and 2009).
The death of Jackson, 26, became part of the immigration debate after President Trump tweeted about it in February.
So disgraceful that a person illegally in our country killed @Colts linebacker Edwin Jackson. This is just one of many such preventable tragedies. We must get the Dems to get tough on the Border, and with illegal immigration, FAST!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 6, 2018
My prayers and best wishes are with the family of Edwin Jackson, a wonderful young man whose life was so senselessly taken. @Colts
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 6, 2018
Jackson entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent with the Cardinals in 2015 after being a walk-on at Georgia Southern. Although he didn't make the Cardinals roster, Jackson signed with the Colts in December 2015. The linebacker quickly made his mark on Indy's defense and played in all 16 games the following season, including eight starts. However, Jackson didn't get to take the field in 2017 after being placed on injured reserve in September.
