A Lawton man will serve seven years in prison after accepting guilt in the May 2023 death of a pedestrian while driving.
Derrick Lamont Harkless, 48, entered his guilty plea Tuesday in Comanche County District Court to a felony count of first-degree manslaughter, records indicate.
Chief District Judge Grant Sheperd sentenced Harkless to 15 years with the Department of Corrections with seven years to serve and eight years suspended and two years of supervised probation upon release. He will have to register with the Mary Rippy violent crime offenders registration and will have to pay $1,820.25 in fines and court costs.
Harkless was driving his car the night of May 26, 2023, when he struck and killed a pedestrian, Annie Porche, as she walked northbound in the inside eastbound lane across Cache Road in the 6400 block.
Harkless fled but was later arrested at Northwest 40th Street and Cache Road. He told police he thought he’d hit a shopping cart, according to the probable cause affidavit. Porche was walking with the assistance of a walker.
Harkless told investigators he’d had two shots of Hennessey before leaving a restaurant in the 7200 block of Cache Road, according to the affidavit. Once arrested, he took the State’s breath test and his blood alcohol content was 0.12; 0.08 is considered felony driving while intoxicated.
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