Midland man gets 7 years

MIDLAND A Midland man pleaded guilty to a car crash that killed one woman and seriously injured another last October.

William Robert Hale, 28, pleaded guilty to intoxication manslaughter and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon on Friday.

Hale was sentenced to seven years in prison.

Prosecuting attorney Laura Nodolf said if Hale had gone to trial, he could have received anywhere from two years probation to 20 years in prison if convicted.

"Based on the evidence and talking with the victims’ families, we felt this was a good outcome," Nodolf said.

Hale, 18-year-old Emily Thon and 18-year-old Ariel Corley were involved in a single vehicle crash Oct. 11 on the service road of Loop 250.

Corley, who was trapped inside Hale’s vehicle, was declared dead at the scene.

Police reported that Hale passed out at the wheel after admittedly taking an orange Ecstasy pill before the crash, according to CBS 7.