A Kansas man
has pleaded not guilty to charges against him in connection to a fatal collision that occurred in Lexington in early October.
Destry Swartz, 22, Coats, Kan., is accused of driving drunk, fleeing to avoid arrest and vehicular homicide.
Swartz made his pleas Friday in Dawson County District Court and is scheduled to go to trial Feb. 12, 2013.
Late on Oct. 9 a state trooper noticed Swartz's 2004 Dodge Ram pickup violate a traffic signal at Sixth and Grant
Streets and tried to pull the pickup over. Swartz did
not stop.
The police officer pursued the pickup
southbound on Highway 283. The pursuit
ending when the pickup slammed into a 1995 Ford F150 pickup on
Highway 283 and Cattlemen Drive.
The impact of the collision caused the Ford
to burst into flames. The driver of the Ford pickup, Ruben Maravilla-Cortes, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Neither Swartz nor his 17-year-old passenger were
injured in the crash.
In convicted of all the counts, Swartz faces up to 30 years in prison.
