SAN DIEGO (CNS) - A motorist involved in a hit-and-run accident in which he drove under the influence and hit two men trying to cross the street in the Midway District, dragging one victim more than 800 feet and disfiguring him, pleaded guilty today to mayhem, DUI, hit-and-run and evading police.
Yosvaldo Sixco, 22, was immediately sentenced to seven years in state prison.
The defendant apologized to the victims before he was sentenced.
"I'm sorry for what I did,'' Sixco said. "I know what I did was wrong.''
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Police said Sixco struck 25-year-old Nathan Pederson and 24-year-old Kenneth Powell as they tried to cross the street near Sports Arena Boulevard and Rosecrans at about 10 p.m. last Dec. 18, seriously injuring both men.
Pederson suffered a broken pelvis and other injuries and Powell ended up stuck under the front wheels of Sixco's car and was dragged hundreds of feet before being dislodged, police said.
At about 1 a.m., a police officer in the area saw Sixco trying to move his vehicle, and the defendant drove off at a high rate of speed, striking a parked car and a power pole before being arrested, police said.
Sixco -- who has no prior record -- had a blood-alcohol content of between .15 and .16 percent after the accident, about twice the legal limit for driving, authorities said.
Deputy District Attorney David McNees said Powell's lip and nose were nearly torn off in the accident and he continues to recover. It is still to be determined whether Powell, an avid basketball player, will ever be able to play again, McNees said.
