OBILE, Ala. (WALA) – A Wilmer man was found guilty of reckless manslaughter in the death of a popular postal worker and runner.
Twenty-six-year-old Aubrey Pate drank and used marijuana before a crash that claimed the life of Victor Birch four years ago.
Authorities say his vehicle collided head-on with Birch’s vehicle on Rangeline Road near the Industrial Canal Bridge on Sept. 25, 2022.
Prosecutors said that testing following the crash showed marijuana in Pate’s system, and evidence presented by the state showed that Pate had a significant level of alcohol in his system at the time of the crash. Prosecutors argued that Pate’s decision to drive under those circumstances, followed by the deadly head-on collision that killed Burch, demonstrated an extreme indifference to human life.
“This case is a devastating reminder that choosing to drive after consuming alcohol and drugs can have irreversible consequences,” said District Attorney Keith Blackwood. “Victor Burch did nothing wrong. He was simply driving down the road when his life was taken because of the reckless decisions of another person. A jury has held Aubrey Pate accountable for those decisions and for the life that was lost as a result.”
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