Anthony
Super Moderator
An Ohio driver who confessed on a YouTube video that he killed a man while driving drunk will face a homicide charge.
A grand jury has indicted Matthew Cordle, 22, on one count of aggravated vehicular homicide and one count of operating a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O'Brien said in a statement.
Cordle’s online admission has been viewed over 1.2 million times on YouTube.
Cordle posted the video he titled "I killed a man" online last week, admitting to driving down a highway the wrong way into oncoming traffic, striking Canzani's car. In the video he said he was with friends "just trying to have a good time."
"My name is Mathew Cordle, and on June 22, 2013, I hit and killed Vincent Canzani," Cordle says in the video posted Friday. "This video will act as my confession. When I get charged, I will plead guilty and take full responsibility for everything I've done to Vincent and his family. I won't dishonor Vincent's memory by lying about what happened."
In the police report Vincent Canzani, 61, died when a wrong-way driver hit his Jeep on Interstate 670 near Columbus, Ohio.
The indictment alleges Cordle had a blood alcohol level of 0.191, more than twice the legal limit of 0.08 in Ohio.
In the video Cordle pleads to others to learn from his mistake and not to drink and drive.
Cordle has promised to plead guilty and said on his video, “I’m handing the prosecution everything they need to put me away for a very long time.â€
"When I get charged I will plead guilty," Cordle said in the video. "I can't erase what I've done."
Canzani’s ex-wife, Cheryl Oates, saw the video and thinks Cordle’s remorse is genuine.
“He said I made a huge mistake, and I’m going to take what’s coming to me,†Oates said. “You’ve got to respect him for that.â€
She believes he deserves to get prison time.
“It’s gut-wrenching coming from a mother looking at that young boy, and he just doesn’t understand the damage that he did,†she said.
"This video he released demonstrates his character, bravery and integrity, and I know he fully intends to cooperate with law enforcement and Franklin County prosecutors throughout the course of any future criminal proceedings," said the defense lawyer George Breitmayer III.
“Despite any speculation of his intentions, the video was meant to raise awareness related to the serious issues surrounding drinking and driving,†Cordle’s lawyer said in a statement. “In addition, Cordle hopes his confession will offer the Canzanis some level of closure by avoiding any lengthy, drawn out legal proceedings.â€
Cordle will face up to 8-1/2 years in prison if he is convicted.
