BOISE, Idaho — A Caldwell man who crashed head-on with another vehicle near Greenleaf in January, killing a 35-year-old Nampa man, will spend at least five years in prison before being eligible for parole.
Pedro J. Avalos, 31, was sentenced to 15 years in prison, with five years fixed, Wednesday in Canyon County on a charge of vehicular manslaughter.
According to Idaho State Police, Avalos was driving west Highway 19 in a Toyota Camry in Jan. 2021 when he crossed over the centerline into the oncoming lane.
Avalos' car crashed into an eastbound Ford Ranger driven by 35-year-old Adam Hawthorne of Nampa. The impact caused Hawthorne's pickup to roll, and both vehicles came to a stop on the right shoulder.
Hawthorne was taken by ambulance to Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center in Nampa, where he died from his injuries.
Multiple witnesses reported seeing Avalos driving aggressively just before losing control of his car and hitting Hawthorne's pickup, ISP says.
The Canyon County Prosecutor's Office said Avalos was traveling at speeds between 119 and 129 mph, and had a blood alcohol level of .134 at the time of the crash.
Police say Avalos had a small child in the car with him at the time of the wreck. That child was unhurt.
According to court records, Avalos originally faced an additional charge for felony injury to a child, but that charge was dismissed when he pleaded guilty to vehicular manslaughter in July.
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