Repeat Drunk Driver Pleads Guilty to 2023 Vehicular Manslaughter

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In his third conviction for similar charges, a 31-year-old Anne Arundel County man pleaded guilty before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Troy K. Hill for vehicular homicide while under the influence.

Trae Byes, of Glen Burnie, Md., was charged with vehicular manslaughter, criminally negligent vehicular manslaughter, vehicular manslaughter while driving under the influence, vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, two counts of driving a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol, driving a vehicle while impaired by controlled dangerous substance and driving a motor vehicle on a highway without a required license and authorization for a Feb. 15, 2023, incident that killed another passenger.

According to the prosecutor, at 10:36 p.m., a van carrying six passengers heading to New York entered the left-hand lane on the 6100 block of Moravia Road, turning toward I-895. Byes had the right of way but was he driving at 80 miles-per-hour. Seeing the van, Byes’ reduced his speed to 60 miles an hour, but it was too late. He hit the van, killing one of the passengers, Qianxi Li.

Both Byes’ Buick and the van, a Honda Odyssey, hit a barrier wall. Li died from severe head trauma and broken bones, while Byes broke his collarbone and among several others and required hospital treatment.

The prosecutor said Byes was oblivious to the consequences of his drunkenness. Per previous coverage, Byes’ blood-alcohol concentration was 0.254, over three times the legal limit.

Li’s family — who were also in the van at the time — approved of the prosecution’s plea deal. Byes agreed to a sentence of 10 years, suspending all but five years, with five years of supervised probation.

If Byes is not released in two years, the prosecution agreed to suspend all but three of the 10 years. Judge Hill accepted Byes’ plea and sentenced him as agreed, also adding that Byes will receive treatment for alcoholism. In a statement to the court, Byes wished he could apologize to Li and said that he should not have been driving.

Michael Ott represented Byes in court Monday.