Wrong-way driver suspected of killing metro Phoenix bartender pleads guilty to manslaughter
A woman suspected of killing a metro Phoenix bartender during a wrong-way collision appears to have pleaded guilty to manslaughter as part of an agreement that reduced the original charge of second-degree murder on Tuesday according to court documents.
The agreement comes nearly two years after now 27-year-old Hannah Dike was suspected of killing 31-year-old Robert Kramer after crashing into him while traveling east in the westbound lanes of Interstate 10 near Ray Road in Chandler on Feb. 10, 2021, at around 12:33 a.m.
Fire crews pulled Dike out of a silver 2007 Infiniti G35 and took her to a hospital where detectives obtained a sample of her blood. Test results showed Dike had a blood-alcohol level of 0.27%.
Kramer, who went by “Bobby,” was pronounced dead at the scene. Kramer was a veteran and served as a corpsman with the U.S. Navy for eight years before discovering his passion in crafting cocktails.
He worked at downtown Phoenix's Blue Hound Kitchen & Cocktails before taking the lead behind the bar at The Brickyard in Chandler. Kramer also served as the president of the Phoenix chapter of the U.S. Bartenders Guild.
Dike was taken to a local hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries. She was later released from a medical rehabilitation facility and booked into a Maricopa County jail on one count of reckless manslaughter before prosecutors upgraded the charge to second-degree murder.
According to the agreement, Dike will serve 11-and-a-half years in prison. However, that figure is subject to change during her sentencing, which is scheduled for Jan. 24. The agreement notes that the minimum sentence for manslaughter in Arizona is seven years while the maximum is 21 years.
Jennifer Liewer, a spokesperson for the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office, declined to comment on Dike’s change of plea as the case remained open until sentencing.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Wrong-way driver suspected of killing Valley bartender takes plea deal
