Teen Accused of Vehicular Manslaughter to Change Plea

A teen driver accused of hitting and killing a father and his 9-year-old daughter during a bike ride in Concord in April is expected to plead guilty to vehicular manslaughter charges later this month, a prosecutor said today.

Appearing in a Martinez courtroom this morning for a pre-trial hearing, the 17-year-old sat next to his attorney, Peter Coleridge, who requested a change of plea hearing.

During the hearing set for Sept. 26, the Concord teen is expected to enter a guilty plea, which could send him to jail until he is 21 years old, Contra Costa County Senior Deputy District Attorney Dan Cabral said.

Last month, the teen pleaded not guilty to felony vehicular manslaughter charges in connection with the deaths of 41-year-old Concord man Solaiman Nuri and his daughter Hadessa, as well as to a misdemeanor charge of reckless driving causing great bodily injury for allegedly hitting and injuring Hadessa's older sister, 12-year-old Hannah Nuri.

Police said the driver was speeding along Treat Boulevard in Concord in his SUV around 9:30 a.m. on April 7 before he struck the father and his two daughters as they rode their bicycles. After a long police investigation, the teen was charged in July with vehicular manslaughter.

He has not been jailed.

Juvenile Court Judge Lois Haight reminded the teen this morning that he is forbidden to drive any motorized vehicle other than a lawnmower and from possessing or using drugs, alcohol or weapons.

After the driver's arraignment on Aug. 24, Michael Cardoza, an attorney representing the Nuri family, said neither the teen nor his parents have contacted the victims' family since the crash.

Several family members, including Solaiman Nuri's widow and mother to Hannah and Hadessa, were in court today to watch the proceedings.

Patch has decided to not name the juvenile. Agree with that or not? Should juvenile defendants be named? .

-Bay City News Service