Man who seriously injured woman in Centre County crash staying in state prison
A man who pleaded guilty to driving under the influence of drugs when he caused a 2020 crash that seriously injured a woman was sentenced Tuesday to time in state prison.
Kraig McKee, 40, crashed a 2014 Toyota Camry into a ditch along the 200 block of West College Avenue in Benner Township, state police at Rockview wrote in an affidavit of probable cause.
He and his two passengers were returning from a methadone clinic when he crashed, police wrote. The synthetic narcotic drug is often used to treat an addiction to opioids such as heroin, fentanyl and painkillers.
The woman filed a lawsuit against McKee in January. She was flown by medical helicopter to UPMC Altoona for treatment of a collapsed lung, a lacerated spleen and liver, acute respiratory failure and fractures of the skull, leg, facial bones, jaw and ribs.
McKee pleaded guilty in November to one felony count each of aggravated assault by vehicle while DUI and DUI. He also pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of providing false identification to a police officer and one summary traffic violation.
One misdemeanor and three summary traffic violations were dropped. McKee is detained at state prison because of previous convictions in Snyder, Armstrong and Juniata counties.
McKee’s minimum sentence is one year, while the maximum sentence handed down by Centre County Judge Jonathan Grine is seven years.
McKee, who declined comment before the sentence was announced, received credit for about 17 months already served. He was also sentenced to one year of probation.
Centre County Assistant Public Defender Beth Ramos did not immediately respond to a request for comment.