NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – A Florida man pleaded guilty to a deadly crash on I-40 near Tijeras. Brett Nelson told investigators he has psychiatric problems and was off his meds when he was swerving across the freeway at close to 100 miles per hour back in October.
According to other drivers, Nelson was swerving in and out of lanes at 90 to 100 mph when he rear-ended Patrick Mullane, who later died at the hospital. Witnesses say Nelson was acting erratically after the crash, jumping over freeway medians running up the mountain and then running back down. He told investigators he has schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and ADHD and that he had not taken his medications in three days.
Nelson could have faced six years in prison for vehicular homicide had he gone to trial. Instead, under his plea deal, Nelson faces no more than four years.