KAILUA-KONA>> A Big Island man accused of running over his 3-year-old son has reached a plea deal with prosecutors.
Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Kim Taniyama says in exchange for the dropping a manslaughter charge, Pedro Johanes Peter will plead guilty on June 18 to third-degree negligent homicide, a misdemeanor.
Peter was driving when his toddler fell out of the cab of a truck and was run over in January.
West Hawaii Today reports that according to a motion by Peter’s public defender, the state did not present sufficient evidence to the grand jury that Peter “consciously disregarded a substantial and unjustified risk that his son would open the door of the car and fall out, resulting in his death.”
Peter could face up to a year incarceration for the misdemeanor.