A 26-year-old man pleaded no contest Friday to second-degree murder and other charges stemming from a wrong-way crash that killed a motorist on the Foothill (210) Freeway in Irwindale.
Tyler White Thompson is facing 15 years to life in state prison when he’s sentenced on June 24 for the Aug. 9, 2014, crash that killed 19-year-old Justin Romo of El Monte.
Thompson entered his plea to one count each of second-degree murder, driving under the influence of alcohol causing injury within 10 years of another drunken driving offense and leaving the scene of an accident, according to Sarah Ardalani of the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
Thompson was driving his 1997 Honda Accord eastbound at an estimated 75 mph in the westbound lanes of the Foothill Freeway near Irwindale Avenue as Romo drove westbound.
At the last moment, the wrong-way driver swerved to the left and slammed head-on into the victim’s car. Romo was pronounced dead at the scene.
Thompson was arrested by the California Highway Patrol nearly 2 1/2 hours after the crash, which closed all westbound lanes of the freeway west of Vernon Avenue for about four hours.
— City News Service