Meridian man changes plea in Canyon County crash that killed 65-year-old coach

The man whose car struck the truck of Greenleaf coach Loma Bittick and her husband last year has pleaded guilty to vehicular manslaughter and a persistent violator charge.

The February 2023 crash killed Loma, 65, and Jim Bittick, now 65, had both legs and eight fingers amputated.

Shawn Stacy, 28, also admitted to a probation violation stemming from the crash, according to court documents — he was on probation in a 2020 burglary case.

Stacy, 28, ran a stop sign at the intersection of Lower Pleasant Ridge and Friends roads, and collided with the Bitticks’ vehicle, according to previous Statesman reporting. The husband and wife were both ejected from their vehicle.

In letters of support to the court, Stacy’s brother and a friend painted him as someone who grew up without stability and struggled. But, his brother wrote, Stacy had become sober and was gainfully employed. A friend asked for Stacy to not become “another lost soul in the system.”

“Nothing can undo the harm caused by Shawn’s actions, I ask that you consider the progress he has made in recent years and the difficult circumstances he overcame,” Jacob Stacy wrote. “Shawn is deeply remorseful and understands the gravity of his actions.”

Court minutes show that Shawn Stacy is scheduled to be sentenced in August, and the plea agreement calls for two years fixed in prison and 15 years indeterminate, although the defense can argue for less, according to court documents. He would be eligible for parole after serving two years.

A persistent violator charge carries a sentence of five years to life, according to Idaho Statute.

Stacy had previously lost his driving privileges and court documents show multiple driving infractions, according to previous Statesman reporting.

The case went to mediation in mid-May to try to reach a settlement, according to court documents.