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The 19-year-old driver charged in the crash last year that killed a teenager and seriously injured another on the gravel road near Glenville beach pleaded guilty Thursday to one count of criminal vehicular homicide tied to the case.

Dominik Nikko Boots-Ringoen entered the plea, which involves driving in a “grossly negligent manner” during the crash on Aug. 27, 2020, as part of an agreement with the Freeborn County Attorney’s Office. As part of the agreement, he also pleaded guilty to one count of operating a motor vehicle with an alcohol concentration of .08 or more in a separate case in Albert Lea from about two weeks before the crash.

The crash, on 795th Avenue, killed 17-year-old passenger James Joseph Amarosa III and severely injured Cameron Michael Cunningham. Passengers Shelby Watkins and Chase Garza were also injured.

In a virtual hearing, Boots-Ringoen said he had met with some friends before driving the night of the crash, and had “a few drinks out of one bottle” of vodka.

He said he lost control of the car carrying four passengers while drifting on the road, a technique in which the driver intentionally oversteers to cause a loss of traction, causing a vehicle to drift sideways. The car was heading southbound on 795th Avenue when it went into the ditch and struck at least one tree.

Boots-Ringoen estimated he was driving 35 to 40 mph at the time of the crash but also acknowledged that speed could have been a factor contributing to the crash. The vehicle belonged to Watkins, the front-seat passenger, who faces charges of aiding and abetting criminal vehicular homicide and operation in the case, and who was reportedly leaning out the window. Boots-Ringoen acknowledged he would have been better able to control the vehicle if he had not had any alcohol.

He was out on conditions from the separate DWI case earlier that month and had a revoked license when the crash occurred.

In the plea agreement, both sides are recommending District Court Judge Steve Schwab approve a downward dispositional departure and a stay of execution of 57 months in prison. The agreement also calls for 10 years of probation.

It calls for Boots-Ringoen to serve 365 days in jail, of which he has credit for 107 days already served. He also agrees to pay restitution for all the victims in the case and to serve 40 hours of Sentence to Service or community service weekly as ordered by the court. Those hours will be reduced hour per hour based on the hours per week he works. For the duration of his in-patient treatment, he would have no weekly service obligation.

Boots-Ringoen faced seven other counts tied to the crash, but those will be dismissed if Schwab accepts the plea.

Sentencing is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. Oct. 8.

Watkins is next slated to appear in court July 16 for a pre-trial hearing.