UPDATE 20 MARCH 2024: A plea deal has been reached and accepted by the court, with the charges reduced to misdemeanors, meaning the 81-year-old driver won’t serve more than a year in jail for killing Ethan Boyes.

A United States federal judge has serious issues with a proposed plea deal for the San Francisco man accused of killing world champion cyclist Ethan Boyes last April while driving under the influence of alcohol, according to court documents.

Arnold Kinman Low, 81, is facing one count of vehicular manslaughter and one count of driving under the influence of alcohol in the fatal crash that killed UCI Masters Track World Cycling Champion Ethan Boyes, 44, while he was riding in a bike lane.

Federal prosecutors and Low’s lawyer appeared in court last week to discuss a plea deal, with Assistant U.S. Attorney George Hageman indicating he was willing to reducing the charges to mere misdemeanors that would carry a maximum sentence of up to one year in prison. 

Under the terms of the plea deal, Low would admit he “did unlawfully kill a human being … without malice and without gross negligence.” 

U.S. Federal District Judge James Donato was aghast.

“Isn’t being intoxicated gross negligence in itself?” the judge said in disbelief.

Hageman pushed back, saying that question was “up for interpretation.” 

The judge then asked about the possible prison term associated with the plea, to which the prosecutor said, “Low could spend up to one year in prison.”

“For killing someone,” Donato replied while staring at Hageman. “Under the influence of alcohol?”

Donato then instructed attorneys on both sides to continue working on a plea deal and return to court with Low on 18 March. 

Photo Credit: KRON4/Gayle Ong

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