DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) — An Eldridge man has entered an Alford plea in the case of a February car crash that left his backseat passenger dead.
Bret Matthew Schaefbauer, 19, entered the plea Friday to a felony count of vehicular homicide, the Quad-City Times reports. He faces up to 10 years in prison when he’s sentenced on Oct. 6.
In exchange for his plea, Scott County prosecutors agreed to dismiss an additional charge of vehicular homicide while operating under the influence, which carries a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison.
In an Alford plea, a defendant does not admit guilt, but concedes that prosecutors have enough evidence to win a conviction.
Investigators say Schaefbauer was driving early the morning of Feb. 7 when he went he crashed, killing 18-year-old Mitchell Hayes.