Man pleads guilty, confesses to fatal Waterford crash

BALLSTON SPA, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- A Troy teen pleaded guilty in Saratoga County Court on Friday to one count of aggravated vehicular homicide. Through his guilty plea, Everett R. Hatlee, 19, confessed to causing the death of one passenger and seriously injuring another while recklessly driving under the influence of marijuana last June.

The Saratoga County District Attorney's Office said Hatlee was speeding south on Fonda Road in Waterford on June 29, 2024, with a 15-year-old girl and a 16-year-old boy as passengers. Hatlee lost control of the car, which went airborne, catapulting from the road, then flipping and spinning through the air.

Officials with the DA's office said the car crashed into the ground multiple times, smashing through utility poles and breaking them in half. The force of the crash and collisions ejected the 15-year-old girl from the car, who died from her injuries at the scene, and seriously injured the 16-year-old.

The two teen passengers were siblings and not related to Hatlee. Following further investigation and a blood test, the DA's office said Hatlee had spent hours and seconds leading up to the crash smoking marijuana. Hatlee was not injured in the crash and collision.

"While we are grateful for today's outcome, this case nevertheless shows the incredibly tragic consequences that come from the toxic mix of speeding and driving recklessly, all while impaired by cannabis," District Attorney Karen Heggen said. "The lives of three young people, their families and communities have all been profoundly affected by Defendant Hatlee's criminal choice to combine all three of these toxic elements."

Hatlee is scheduled for sentencing on August 25 at 1 p.m. The DA's office said Hatlee is facing a possible sentence between five and 15 years in state prison.