Posted on 10/09/2007 9:39:27 AM PDT by Tennessee Nana
A man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to driving the wrong way on the Spur between Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg, hitting another vehicle head-on and severely injuring two people.
Mario Roberto Diaz-Mourillo, also known as Elmer O. Diaz, pleaded guilty to two counts of motor-vehicle assault resulting in serious injury.
He pleaded guilty as charged without a plea agreement.
Diaz-Mourillo was driving north in the southbound lanes of the Spur about 10:30 p.m. on May 27 when he struck a vehicle carrying four people.
Two of those were seriously injured, including a woman who lost an eye.
Witnesses said there was a strong odor of alcohol on Diaz-Mourillo after the wreck, but he fled and was later arrested.
Judge Leon Jordan ordered a pre-sentence investigation and set sentencing for Jan. 22.
More details as they develop online and in Wednesday’s News Sentinel.
© 2007, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
I've driven this road many times...
It's a miracle nobody was killed..
“ELMER O. Diaz”?
Well at least he was TRYING to assimilate/s
Maybe we need bilingual traffic signs!/s
Two kids were hit by an illegal yesterday while walking to school in a crosswalk by an illegal in the Los Angeles area. I’ve heard it on the radio but not in print.
In the event that a drunk driver is going the wrong way, he will most likely be hugging the right lane (which, since he is going the wrong way is the left) and may not have his lights on.
Gatlinburg is about 5 miles from Pigeon Forge...
A river runs from one town to the other and the road follows it...Its a pretty trip through lots of shady trees etc..
One way is one side of the river and the opposite way is on the other...
No medium..just a river...
2. Attention News-Sentinel writers: No one "pleaded" guilty. He "plead" (rhymes with dead) guilty. A "journalist should know better, and making the same mistake twice in the same article is pathetic.
Mario Roberto Diaz-Mourillo,
IS HE AN ILLEGAL ALIEN?
That's what they will claim next!
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