Man pleads guilty in Lincoln’s deadly Memorial Day weekend crash

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – Kyvell Stark pleaded guilty on Wednesday to manslaughter and DUI causing serious bodily injury.

On Memorial Day weekend last year, he was driving down O Street under the influence of marijuana.

Stark reached nearly 90 mph just before crashing into another vehicle, sending both cars into a crowd of people.

Two women — 20-year-old Emily Siebenhor and 22-year-old Edith Hermosillo — were killed. 20 others were injured and sent the hospital.

SEE ALSO: Lincoln residents react to fatal crashes on O Street

Stark was originally set to go to trail, pleading not guilty to two counts of manslaughter and two counts of DUI causing serious bodily injury.

But at a hearing Wednesday, he entered a guilty plea to the amended charges, which the judge accepted.

“He feels terrible about it,” Stark’s attorney, Mike Bianchi, said. “He feels terrible about what he’s done to these families and to his own. And he’s ready to move past it and accept responsibility and move along with life.”

Bianchi said he wishes the best for the Siebenhor and Hermosillo families, as well as the families of the other victims.

“This is a terrible and tragic thing,” he said. “It takes a while, and I’m not sure that everybody will ever move on, but you just do the best you can.”

SEE ALSO: Lincoln residents near O Street say show-off drivers are a persistent problem

Sara Draper, executive director of Mothers Against Drunk Driving Nebraska, said impaired driving crashes are preventable.

“Unfortunately, for victims of impaired driving, there’s no closure,” she said. “There’s no future where this is not part of their lives. So while he will plead guilty, while he will see a consequence for his action, these families will never be able to move forward.”

This week, concerns about unsafe driving on O Street were raised yet again, after Nebraska volleyball coach John Cook revealed that Lindsay Krause was rear-ended near 46th street.

SEE ALSO: Witness recounts ‘chaotic’ scene after crash that left 2 dead, 20 injured in Lincoln

Todd Francisco with the Midwest Rollers Car Club hopes people will take cruising down O Street more seriously.

The Midwest Rollers held a fundraiser last year to help victims of the crash.

“I’m pretty impressed that he actually pled guilty,” Francisco said. “He’s manning up before his actions. He did do what he did. I feel sorry for him, but I really do feel sorry for the families involved.”

SEE ALSO: A year after Memorial Day weekend crash, Lincoln car enthusiasts are urging safety

Francisco said he wants to hold more sanctioned cruises going forward to make the roads safer.

Stark could be sentenced to over 20 years in prison.

His sentencing is set for Nov. 16 at 1:30 p.m., and the judge has ordered he be there in person.