Hunter
10/02/24
One of two teens charged in a drag racing crash that killed a 22-year-old Waterloo woman in Iowa City last year pleaded Monday to one charge of vehicular homicide.
The Gazette reports 18-year-old Elijah Seals of Iowa City made an Alford plea to one count of homicide by vehicle-reckless driving, a Class C felony. He originally was charged with involuntary manslaughter and two other charges of homicide by vehicle-drag racing, homicide by vehicle with excessive speed
An Alford plea is when defendant maintains innocence but admits the prosecution has enough evidence to convict.
Seals faced up to 10 years in prison, but 6th Judicial District Judge David Cox said during the hearing that the agreement reached between prosecutors and defense attorneys means he won’t face jail time. The plea instead includes a suspended sentence and three years of probation. Seals is also required to pay $150,000 in restitution to the family of 22-year-old Jennifer Russell, who died as a result of the crash on May 27, 2023. He will also have his driver’s license revoked for at least a year.
The other teen charged in the case, 18-year-old Kesean Ford would be responsible for half the restitution if he is convicted. Judge Cox hasn’t accepted a plea that Ford attempted to make last week because the prosecution didn’t agree to it.
An official accident report from the Iowa State Patrol indicates on the evening of May 27th last year, Kesean Ford drove a 2008 Saturn Vue through the stop sign at Court Street and 7th Avenue at the same time Elijah Seals drove a 2012 GMC Acadia through the same intersection while both were driving westbound on Court at a high rate of speed. The two reportedly hit a 2017 Chevy Malibu being driven by 22-year-old Jennifer Russell, who died at the University of Iowa Healthcare Main Campus.
Russell’s parents last year filed a wrongful-death lawsuit, which was dismissed because of a technicality. The Russells could refile the suit, but have yet to do so.