One of two men charged with causing a car crash that killed eight people watching a street race has pleaded guilty to eight counts of vehicular manslaughter, prosecutors said.
Darren Bullock, 21, of Waldorf, entered the plea Friday afternoon in Prince George's County Circuit Court. Sentencing guidelines for this case were probation to four years per count, Prince George's County State's Attorney Glenn F. Ivey said. Bullock is likely facing 30 years with 15 suspended, prosecutors said. Sentencing was scheduled for March 1.
"Today's plea will not bring back the lives of those killed on that tragic day, but today's conviction holds Darren Bullock accountable for his actions," said Ivey.
On Feb. 16, 2008, at about 3 a.m., Bullock plowed into a group of street racing fans along an isolated stretch of Route 210 in Accokeek while he and 20-year-old Tavon Taylor were racing each other in the early morning darkness, authorities said. The victims ranged in age from their 20s to 60s.
The fans had spilled into the road to watch two other cars race off when they were hit from behind. Bullock and Taylor, also of Waldorf, weren't part of the event that the fans had come to watch.
The crash cast a spotlight on an underground street-racing subculture in rural parts of Prince George's County and southern Maryland. Police cracked down on the practice afterward and say once-common races have faded.
Taylor's trial is set to begin Monday. He is also charged with eight counts of vehicular manslaughter.
