A man accused of drag racing before a crash that killed a woman and her three young sons pleaded guilty Monday to four counts of vehicular homicide.
Ahmen Holloman, 32, was subsequently sentenced to five to 10 years in state prison, The Philadelphia Daily News reported.
Authorities say he was racing Khusen Akhmedov as 27-year-old Samara Banks and her children were crossing a boulevard on foot in July 2013. Holloman's car did not hit the family.
Jury selection is scheduled to begin Tuesday in the trial of the 24-year-old Akhmedov, who is charged with third-degree murder, vehicular homicide, involuntary manslaughter and other counts.
Authorities allege that his car fatally struck Banks and her three sons — ages 4, 23 months and 7 months. A 5-year-old son survived.
Relatives of the victims wept as Assistant District Attorney Thomas Lipscomb gave details of the crash.
Lipscomb said witnesses reported seeing the two cars racing each other.
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Holloman initially disagreed that he was speeding but acknowledged witnesses would have testified he was if his case had gone to trial.
Defense attorney Lonny Fish said his client's vehicle left no skid marks when he stopped at the scene of the accident. He also said his client had expressed remorse.
Common Pleas Judge Steven Geroff offered Holloman a chance to speak in the packed courtroom, but he declined to do so.
"You're not the principal party responsible for these deaths, but you are still responsible," the judge told Holloman before sentencing him.
