The motorist accused of killing Hawaii Pacific University student Mariah Danforth-Moore in a hit-and-run collision in front of the school’s Hawaii Loa campus pleaded guilty in state court Monday to leaving the scene of a fatal traffic accident.

Dominic Franklyn, 31, faces a maximum 10-year prison term at sentencing in April.

His lawyer has indicated, however, that Franklyn will ask the judge to give him the opportunity to avoid conviction by deferring his guilty plea.

Danforth-Moore, 19, of Oneida, Wis., died Nov. 20, 2011.

Honolulu police said Danforth-Moore was in a crosswalk on Kame­ha­meha Highway when a car traveling in the Kaneohe-bound lanes struck her and the driver continued without stopping.

An ambulance took Danforth-Moore to nearby Castle Medical Center, where she died.

Franklyn turned himself in at Hono­lulu Police Department’s main headquarters two days later.

Police seized his white BMW sedan, which they said had severe front-end damage.

HPU students and officials have complained about the safety of the crosswalk fronting the school’s Kaneohe campus because of speeding motorists and because there is no traffic light there.

On July 23, one year and eight months after Danforth-Moore’s death, police cited Franklyn for speeding for driving 43 mph in a 25 mph zone. Franklyn paid a fine a week later.