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Retired Officer Pleads Guilty In Crash That Killed Somers Teaching Aide

Richard O'Keefe pleaded guilty Wednesday to criminally negligent homicide and agreed to a one-year sentence in the death of Frances Ghelarducci during a crash in 2015, according to lohud.com.

Richard O'Keefe pleaded guilty in the death of Frances Ghelarducci on Wednesday.

Richard O'Keefe pleaded guilty in the death of Frances Ghelarducci on Wednesday.

Photo Credit: Facebook

O'Keefe, a retired Carmel police officer, who will serve his sentence at the Putnam County Jail, hit a Jeep on Route 6 and killed the Somers teaching assistant on Nov. 14, 2015, said lohud.com.

As part of a plea deal worked out by the Putnam County District Attorney's Office, O'Keefe also waived his right to appeal, added lohud.com.

The Mahopac resident, 59, was arrested the night of the crash, which occurred at 9:38 p.m. on Route 6. According to the investigation, O'Keefe who was driving a Dodge Caravan was cut off by Anna Estrada in her friend's Jeep, state police said after the crash.

O'Keefe's minivan rammed into the Jeep, which flipped, and hit another vehicle, state police said.

Steven Ghelarducci, the owner of the Jeep, was a passenger along with his wife and Estrada's husband, Ernest Estrada.

Fran Ghelarducci died at the scene, the other passengers of the Jeep were treated at a nearby hospital for non-life threatening injuries.

O'Keefe, who refused to take a Breathalyzer test, was not injured, police said.

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