HARTINGTON, Neb. (AP) – A South Dakota man accused of drinking alcohol before the fatal crash of an all-terrain vehicle has made a plea deal with Nebraska prosecutors.
Cedar County District Court records say 26-year-old Derrik Nelson pleaded no contest Monday to vehicular homicide and false reporting. Prosecutors dropped manslaughter and other charges in exchange. Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 10.
The records say Nelson was driving the ATV after drinking for several hours before the June 2017 crash near Fordyce that killed his passenger, Jessi Anderson, a South Dakota State University student.
Prosecutors also dropped an accessory charge filed against Nelson’s father, J. Douglas Nelson. Prosecutors had accused him of dismantling the ATV to hide evidence. He’d said he was merely repairing damage he’d noticed.
The two men live in Yankton.
