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AKRON, Ohio – The man who was driving under the influence during an Akron crash that killed two women pleaded guilty to charges on Tuesday.

James Woodruff, 28, agreed to a plea deal and was sentenced to nine years in prison by Summit County Common Pleas Judge Mary Margaret Rowlands.

Police said speed and alcohol were factors in the June 16 crash on Interstate 76. Officers found several beer cans in the crushed car that went off the road and hit a concrete barrier before going airborne. The right side of the vehicle was completely smashed and the car landed on its roof.

The Summit County Medical Examiner’s Office said Rochelle Braziel, 35, of Akron, and Jeanette Weiss, 38, also of Akron, were both pronounced dead at the scene. Braziel was a mother of four, while Weiss left behind one child.

Brian Hudson, 27, of Akron, suffered a severe spinal cord injury that left him paralyzed.

According to police, it could have been days before the flipped vehicle would have been found, because of where the car landed off the road, had a witness not seen and reported the accident to authorities.

“The vehicle was in a bush area with a lot of vegetation and the vehicle was actually hard to see,” Akron Sgt. Michael Vavro told NewsChannel5 in June.

Woodruff pleaded guilty to two counts of aggravated vehicular homicide, two counts of aggravated vehicular assault, one count of driving under suspension and one count of driving under the influence. He and another man were also injured in the crash.

Read more: http://www.newsnet5.com/dpp/news/local_news/oh_summit/Drunk-driver-sentenced-for-Akron-crash-that-killed-two-paralyzed-another#ixzz1eTbI2PQq

Article Courtesy of WEWS NewsChannel 5