Race Day Live (Maricopa County, AZ) – An Arizona man who drove the wrong way down a major highway and collided with a car carrying three adolescents was sentenced to jail after pleading guilty to second-degree murder.
Vincent Acosta, 27, was driving south in the northbound lane of Interstate 17 early on October 10, 2022, when he collided with several cars, including one carrying Abriauna Hoffman, 18, Magdalyn “Maggie” Ogden, 18, and Hunter Balberdi, 19, all freshmen at Grand Canyon University who shared a campus suite. They were headed to the Grand Canyon to witness the sunrise, and Ogden had recently celebrated her birthday.
Acosta was found unconscious following the incident, which occurred shortly before 4 a.m., while first responders searched for victims in four separate cars. His blood alcohol level was reportedly 0.129, far exceeding Arizona’s legal limit of 0.08. Three other victims of the crash did not sustain life-threatening injuries.
Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell announced the sentencing on Jan. 17, stating that two of the teens were pronounced dead at the scene and the third died in the hospital.
In August 2024, Acosta pled guilty to three charges of second-degree murder and received a 22-year sentence for each victim, to be served concurrently. He also got credit for 813 days already service.
KNXV, a local ABC station, said that sentencing was scheduled for September, approximately a month after the plea agreement was signed. Judge Pamela Dunne recused herself from the case, reportedly because she disagreed with the plea bargains, notably the consecutive 22-year sentences.
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Instead, Acosta appeared before Judge Sam Myers, who reportedly told the girls’ families in court, “There is not a sentence that would do what I wish I could do for all of you, and that is to bring back your beautiful daughters.”
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