Man pleads guilty to drunk driving crash injuring three teenagers

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — A man pled guilty to a drunk driving crash that sent three teenagers to the hospital.

Jeremias Yanes, 46, was found guilty of committing serious injury by motor vehicle. Yanes will serve an active prison sentence for at least 1 year with a maximum of 2 years.

Yanes was driving southbound on Carolina Beach Road in the Monkey Junction area on July 20th around 9:35pm.

The DA’s office says, Yanes ran into the rear of a vehicle that was stopped at a red light. The three teenagers inside the struck vehicle were transported to Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical Center. All three have since been released from the hospital but require follow-up care.

The youngest passenger was 16 years old and suffered the most serious injuries including a fractured femur, jaw, and ribs, as well as lacerations and head trauma.

A passing ambulance and several Good Samaritans stopped by to assist. Witnesses said that Yanes was traveling at a high rate of speed at the time of the crash.

Yanes admitted on the scene that he had drank at least six beers and a crime lab analysis of his blood sample showed 0.20 grams of alcohol per 100 milliliters.

His criminal record showed convictions for minor traffic offenses including driving without a license and running a stop sign in 2019.