THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, May 19, 1995 TAG: 9505190503
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JOE JACKSON, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 71 lines
Arnold O. Peterson, the driver who led police on a high-speed chase that ended with two people dead, pleaded guilty Thursday to manslaughter, eluding police and driving under the influence.
Peterson will face a maximum of 46 years in prison when he is sentenced Aug. 24.
During a hearing in Circuit Court, he quietly answered Judge John E. Clarkson's questions as members of the victims' families, many holding photos of the victims, sat and watched.
In a written plea agreement, Peterson pleaded guilty to two counts of aggravated involuntary manslaughter. For each charge, he faces one to 20 years in prison, with the law stipulating a mandatory punishment of one year in jail. He also may be fined up to $2,500 per charge and have his driver's license revoked for up to three years.
Peterson, a 47-year-old heating and air-conditioning salesman, faces one to five years in prison for eluding police, plus a fine of up to $2,500 and having his license suspended for one year. He faces another year behind bars and a year's loss of his driver's license for driving under the influence.
Peterson waived his right to an indictment by a grand jury and went directly to the plea agreement just a few days after being released from jail on bond. He did not receive any promises from the judge t on his punishment but avoided the possibility that prosecutors could seek indictments for second-degree murder rather than involuntary manslaughter. The maximum punishment for second-degree murder is 40 years in prison.
Peterson was released from the Norfolk jail last week on a $200,000 bond and was taken directly to an alcohol-treatment program. Peterson wanted to undergo treatment before entering a guilty plea because ``the treatment they offer behind bars is lacking,'' said his lawyer, Carole Terri Frantz.
On Thursday, Commonwealth's Attorney Charles D. Griffith Jr. asked that Peterson's bond be revoked, pointing out that he could be a danger to the community if he drove again after his release in June from the alcohol-treatment center. The bond was set in General District Court over prosecutors' objections.
Clarkson ordered that Peterson could stay in the treatment center but that either he or the treatment center had to contact the court as soon as he is released. At that point, another bond hearing would be scheduled, Clarkson said.
``We're interested in helping him solve his problem and we're interested in protecting the citizens of the commonwealth,'' Clarkson said.
On Jan. 21, Peterson led police on a 15-mile chase through Virginia Beach and Norfolk. The chase started when Peterson sped past a radar checkpoint on International Drive in Virginia Beach, then refused to stop for a police officer.
Police chased Peterson onto the Virginia Beach-Norfolk Expressway, then off the highway onto Brambleton Avenue in Norfolk. At Brambleton and Duke Street, Peterson's van sped through a red light and rammed a 1983 BMW.
Two people in the car, Richmond lawyer William L. Rosbe, 50, and Teresa Guille Timms, 40, of Virginia Beach, were killed. Peterson was not seriously injured.
Peterson's blood-alcohol content was .19 at the time, Griffith said Thursday. The legal limit is .08.
At the time of the crash, Peterson was free on $7,500 bond, pending trial on a previous drunken-driving charge in Virginia Beach. He was later convicted in that case, fined $1,000 and sentenced to 30 days in jail. He also has other driving convictions.
KEYWORDS: ACCIDENT TRAFFIC DRUNKEN DRIVING FATALITIES
ARREST VERDICT by CNB