An Augusta man pleaded not guilty Friday to manslaughter and other charges stemming from a collision in Turner that killed a Fayette woman in December.
Jacob Diaz, 24, also faces three additional felony charges related to the crash, including two counts of reckless conduct with a dangerous weapon and one count of aggravated driving to endanger. He also faces misdemeanor speeding charges for traveling more than 30 mph above the speed limit.
Manslaughter is punishable by up to 30 years in prison, and the other felony charges are punishable by up to five years in prison each, according to the Sun Journal.
Diaz was allegedly racing a green Dodge pickup truck north on Route 4, also known as Auburn Road, on Dec. 11, when he passed a tractor-trailer and collided with a blue 2016 Hyundai Sonata driven by 79-year-old Carol Ivers of Fayette as she turned onto Route 4, the Androscoggin County Sheriff’s Office said at the time.
Ivers died at the scene. Diaz and his passenger were ejected from the vehicle and were taken to a local hospital for treatment.
Diaz is currently being held in Androscoggin County Jail. He said in a video conference Friday before the 8th District Court that he will be hiring an attorney to represent him, according to the Sun Journal.