Man pleads guilty in 2014 crash that killed three people

A man who killed three people in a drunken driving crash near Towne West Square in 2014 pleaded guilty to second-degree reckless murder in their deaths.

Juan Pablo Gandara-Rodela, 32, also admitted to leaving the scene of an accident and two counts of aggravated battery for running a red light in a Ford Expedition and slamming into the side of a Chevy Impala at Maple and Tracy on July 27. Police have said that Gandara-Rodela, who has a history of DUI and traffic convictions, had been at a west-side bar around 2 a.m. prior to the crash. Killed were Zachary Taylor and Jake Hallacy, both 26 and of Valley Center, and 21-year-old Emily Phillips of McPherson. Two others in the car were hurt but survived.

Attorneys plan to ask a judge to send Gandara-Rodela to prison for 180 months, according to the plea agreement in the case, but the judge does not have to adhere to the recommendation.

Gandara-Rodela entered his plea Jan. 29, three days before he was set to go to trial on the charges. He is scheduled for sentencing March 23, according to Sedgwick County District Court records.

This story was originally published February 4, 2016 at 10:28 AM with the headline "Man pleads guilty in 2014 crash that killed three people."