Drunk driver pleads to vehicular assault

A drunk driver who slammed into a woman head-on last year has entered a guilty plea to vehicular assault charges.

The defendant, Raul G. Lara, entered a guilty plea before Circuit Court Judge Bart Stanley to the charge of vehicular assault. He will appear for sentencing Dec. 14 at which time he will likely receive three to six years in prison.

His plea agreement comes after a wreck last October in which his vehicle crossed the center line on Bluff Springs Road and slammed head-on into a vehicle driven by Lisa Roberts. The crash pinned Lara in the car and left Roberts with serious injuries, many of which are expected to be permanent.

Along with not having a license, it was determined Lara was driving with a blood-alcohol of .29, an amount which is over three times the state legal limit of .08.