A Kenai judge has delayed ruling on a plea deal that would have given a two-year suspended sentence to the driver involved in a 2016 car wreck that killed a Sterling teen.
Johnna D. Angleton, 35, was driving a truck that spun out of control and crashed into a ditch on Kalifornsky Beach Road in November 2016. One of the pickup’s three passengers, 17-year-old Mykha Slater, was killed in the accident.
In June 2017, Angleton was charged with six counts including manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide, assault and refusal to submit to a blood alcohol test.
During a hearing Monday, defense attorneys said the plea agreement, which would have dismissed the more serious charges, was appropriate given the circumstances of the case — noting reports of icy roads and asserting that there was unconvincing evidence that drugs and alcohol had been a factor.
Prosecutors declined to make a statement.
Slater’s family tearfully read victim impact statements about how the loss of the teenager affected them — with several calling for a harsher sentence.
Slater’s father, Todd Slater, expressed anger about the proposed plea agreement and told the court he felt Angleton was getting a “slap on the hand.”
In an emotional statement, Angleton apologized to the victim’s family and said she accepted responsibility for her actions.
Superior Court Judge Jennifer Wells told the courtroom that given the objections to the deal she wanted to take more time to review the agreement before ruling.
The next hearing is set for May 11.
