A 36-year-old Lakeport man that entered a no contest plea in March, which was related to a deadly DUI crash that fatally struck a Clearlake Oaks man last September, recently appeared in court.
The sentencing hearing scheduled for early May has been continued to May 16.
During a hearing in March, the defendant, Steven Michael Pruitt, entered a no contest plea to the felony charge of DUI — under the influence of a drug while causing injury.
A no contest plea means the defendant agrees to accept the conviction for the crime, avoiding the factual admission of guilt.
The Court accepted the defendant’s plea and the matter has been referred to the Lake County Probation Department for the preparation of a pre-sentencing report.
The charges stem from an accident in the morning hours of Sept. 22, 2021 when Pruitt was driving a blue Chevrolet Camaro west of the Rodman Slough.
Pruitt allegedly crossed the solid double yellow lines, driving directly into the oncoming lane. The defendant collided head-on with an eastbound Honda Civic, killing the driver, 64-year-old Lonnie Ray Sullivan, of Clearlake Oaks.
The defendant remains in custody with bail remaining set at $1 million.
