Diplomat Pleads Guilty in Crash That Sparked Immunity Debate
A diplomat from the Republic of Georgia pleaded guilty Wednesday to charges growing from a car crash that killed a Maryland teenager and sparked international debate about diplomatic immunity.
Gueorgui Makharadze, 36, the embassy’s second-ranking officer, could face up to 70 years in prison on one charge of involuntary manslaughter and four counts of aggravated assault. D.C. Superior Court Judge Harold Cushenberry ordered him held without bond until sentencing Dec. 19, saying the diplomat had shown a callous disregard for others.
“I take full responsibility for what happened,” Makharadze told the judge.
Witnesses told police that Makharadze was weaving in and out of traffic at speeds of up to 85 mph on Jan. 3 when his car crashed into a line of cars at a stoplight at a busy downtown intersection.
Prosecutors have said Makharadze had a blood-alcohol level of at least 0.15 at the time of the five-car crash. The legal limit in Washington is 0.10.
Jovianne Waltrick, 16, of Kensington, Md., who was in one of the cars, was killed and four people were injured.
Although he was protected from prosecution because of his diplomatic status, Makharadze’s government waived his immunity.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
