September 13th 2023.
Former star basketball recruit Zaon Collins has been released from a Las Vegas jail after serving 90 days for his involvement in a high-speed car crash that claimed the life of 52-year-old Eric Echevarria. Collins entered into a guilty plea deal in 2020 on a misdemeanor charge of vehicular manslaughter. The plea deal resulted in a lightened sentence of 72 months probation for his felony reckless driving count, and he was also issued a $3,500 fine along with community service.
At his trial, Collins apologized to the family of the victim and expressed remorse for his role in the accident. “I understand I hurt many people with the role of my accident by recklessly driving, and I’m truly sorry. It’s something I have to live with the rest of my life,” he said. Collins was released on August 15, 56 days after he initially turned himself into authorities. His defense lawyer Frank Kocka argued that he was still held longer than his original plea deal outlined. “He got good time, but he was not released ‘early’. He was actually held a couple days later than he should have been released,” he said.
At the time of the fatal crash, Collins was a Division I recruit for the top-rated University of Nevada, Las Vegas. On Tuesday, September 12, the athlete’s name was listed on the roster for the Salt Lake Community College Bruins as a red-shirt freshman. As part of his probation, Collins will remain on court-ordered alcohol monitoring until its completion and will also undergo mental health and substance abuse counseling.
This tragic incident serves as a reminder of the dangers of reckless driving. Let us hope that Collins and others learn from the tragedy and take steps to be safer and more responsible on the roads.
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