Henry Cofrancesco
A Chattanooga man pleaded guilty Monday to causing a fatal wreck in 2016 while under the influence.
Henry Cofrancesco III faces eight to 12 years in a Tennessee prison for vehicular homicide and another seven days in local jail for an enhanced driving under the influence charge.
Hamilton County Criminal Court Judge Don Poole will decide his sentence July 20 at 1:30 p.m. In the meantime, Cofrancesco, 34, will remain out on bond until attorneys debate the length of his punishment.
Assistant District Attorney Kate Lavery said Cofrancesco had been drinking inside the Images nightclub with his girlfriend around 8 p.m. on May 21, 2016. After getting into an argument, he left the bar and got in his car, which faced Lee Highway.
"Suddenly, he pulled straight into the path of motorcyclist Robert Benedict," Lavery said.
Benedict, 60, had no way to avoid Cofrancesco and died on scene. Cofrancesco did not want to do blood tests, so authorities got a warrant, Lavery said. He had no other previous drinking and driving convictions and was indicted in September 2016, records show.
Cofrancesco faced a seven-count indictment for vehicular homicide, possession of cocaine, failure to yield to right of way, leaving the scene of an accident, failure to render aid, and driving under the influence, records show.
As part of a plea agreement, the state agreed to dismiss everything but the charges of driving under the influence and vehicular homicide, a class B felony. Leaving the scene of an accident is also a felony that carries one to six years, depending on someone's previous criminal record. The rest are misdemeanors.
Standing beside defense attorney Ben McGowan, Cofrancesco told Poole he hadn't pleaded guilty to any other charges. He is what prosecutors call a "range one offender," and therefore can receive a lighter punishment than someone who repeatedly breaks the law.
Benedict's family members alleged when they filed a lawsuit in Hamilton County Circuit Court asking for $7 million in damages that Cofrancesco was driving "negligently and recklessly." Clerks said Monday that case is pending and doesn't have a date set for the next hearing.
This is not the only vehicular homicide case in Hamilton County Criminal Court.
Valerie Bray, 60, faces up to three months in local jail for hitting and killing runner Cameron Bean on Moccasin Bend Road in September 2015. Judge Tom Greenholtz is expected to announce a decision in her case at the end of this month.
Meanwhile, Timothy Nerren, 36, is charged with running a red light under the influence and killing 59-year-old Gregory Kirton. His next court date is April 26 before Criminal Court Judge Barry Steelman.
Contact staff writer Zack Peterson at zpeterson@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6347. Follow him on Twitter @zackpeterson918.