A woman whose car struck and killed two bicyclists in Lancaster County two years ago pleaded guilty Thursday to one count of reckless driving.
Sharon King, 36, was sentenced to a fine of $200 or 30 days in jail by Circuit Judge Brooks Goldsmith.
King's car struck and killed Tom Hoskins and Lee Anne Barry in October 2007. Expert bicyclists, they were participating in a charity ride on U.S. 521 at the time.
Solicitor Douglas Barfield had originally charged King with two counts of reckless homicide, which together carried a maximum of 10 years in prison.
But Barfield said Thursday after the guilty plea that he agreed to lower the plea for several reasons. The victims' families had agreed and wanted closure; King admitted negligence and acknowledged she was responsible.
Whether King was distracted by her use of a cell phone at or just before the accident would have been an issue in the trial, Barfield said.
- John Monk