Driver of sand rail admits to killing two

A Yacolt man pleaded guilty Monday to causing an off-road vehicle crash that killed two people and injured two others last year outside of Pacific City, Ore.

David Rieman’s guilty plea to two counts of criminally negligent homicide, two counts of third-degree assault and DUII could send him to prison for more than seven years, according to court papers.

Sentencing for Rieman, 48, was set for two days, beginning Feb. 16.

The crash happened Sept. 26, 2008, at the Sand Lake Recreation Area near Pacific City, when Rieman collided head on with another off-road vehicle driven by David Leach, 56, of Hillsboro, Ore. Both men were driving vehicles known as sand rails. The impact — Rieman’s sand rail rolled over Leach’s vehicle — killed Leach and a passenger, Chiara Acker, 19, of Aloha, Ore.

Leach had two other passengers, Phillip Snider, 27, and Savina Rosales, 21, of Aloha. They both sustained injuries in the crash.

Rieman’s blood alcohol content was 0.27 percent, more than three times Oregon’s legal limit of 0.08 percent.

In his plea petition, Rieman wrote: “While driving impaired, I negligently caused the death of David Leach and Chiara Acker. In the same accident, I caused injury to Phillip Snider and Savina Rosales.”

The Tillamook County District Attorney will recommend a sentence of six years and four months in prison; Rieman’s attorney, Bob Thuemmel, will ask for a sentence between 20 and 24 months, according to court filings.

The maximum penalty for all five charges combined is more than seven years in prison.