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<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; A Hazleton man pleaded guilty last week to charges stemming from a 2016 fatal accident while driving with a suspended license.</p><p>Estiven Rodriguez Fernandez, 21, entered a guilty plea on three felony counts of accident involving death or injury while not properly licensed, along with summary counts of careless driving causing unintentional death and driving while a license was suspended.</p><p>Other charges were withdrawn by prosecutors.</p><p>Rodriguez Fernandez was charged in connection with the 2016 death of Carlos Espinal.</p><p>Prosecutors say Rodriguez Fernandez caused a head-on collision on State Route 924 near the intersection with South Broad Street in Hazle Township on June 9, 2016.</p><p>According to the criminal affidavit, Rodriguez Fernandez&#8217;s gold BMW crashed into a red Nissan Maxima, driven by Francisco Tineo. Espinal was Tineo&#8217;s passanger at the time, and died the next day as a result of his injuries.</p><p>State troopers say they found Rodriguez Fernandez walking around the roadway disoriented, saying he couldn&#8217;t remember what led up to the accident, saying that he could only remember leaving work at Amazon.</p><p>A State Police reconstruction showed that Rodriguez Fernandez had been heading north at the time of the accident, losing control and veering into the southbound lane.</p><p>Luzerne County Judge Michael T. Vough scheduled Rodriguez Fernandez&#8217;s sentencing for May 7. He&#8217;ll be allowed to apply for the Intermediate Punishment Program.</p><p>He will be required to pay $8,445 in restitution to Tineo to help cover medical bills.</p><p>Court records show he&#8217;s been out on $150,000 unsecured bail since October.</p><style>
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<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Patrick Kernan</p><p>pkernan@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Patrick Kernan at 570-991-6386 or on Twitter @PatKernan</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Hazleton man pleads guilty to 2016 fatal accident