Salvador Venegas Jr., of Ark City, has entered a plea agreement on a charge of involuntary manslaughter and will avoid trial on a murder charge previously filed by Cowley County prosecutors.
Venegas Jr. Monday pleaded no contest to one count of involuntary manslaughter while in commission of a DUI. The charge is connection with a collision on Nov. 20, 2016 that killed 20-year-old Garrett Misora of Winfield.
The accident occurred on U.S. 77 highway near Strother Field.
Cowley County Dist. Court Judge Christopher Smith found Venegas Jr. guilty of the involuntary manslaughter count and set sentencing for Oct. 23 at 9 a.m.
Venegas Jr., 30, had been facing a charge of second degree murder. That more severe charge and other less serious charges were dropped as part of the plea agreement.
David Maslen is representing Venegas Jr. County attorney Larry Schwartz was in court on behalf of the state of Kansas.
Investigators said Venegas Jr. was driving southbound in the northbound lanes of 77 when the collision with Misora’s vehicle occurred. Venegas’s vehicle was without headlights at the time, due to a previous collision.
Venegas Jr. was also injured in the crash and required hospitalization. He has yet to be arrested and had been free on his own recognizance while the case proceeded through the court system.
Depending on his criminal history, Venegas faces from just over three years to up to 14 years in prison.
