Man enters Alford plea in DWI fatality in St. Charles County
A Florissant, Missouri, man appeared in St. Charles County Circuit Court on Tuesday, entered an Alford plea, and was sentenced for a 2023 DWI crash that claimed the lives of two people.
ST. CHARLES COUNTY, Mo. – A Florissant, Missouri, man appeared in St. Charles County Circuit Court on Tuesday, entered an Alford plea, and was sentenced for a 2023 DWI crash that claimed the lives of two people.
Dioavian Cook, 25, entered an Alford plea to one count of DWI - death of another and two counts of DWI - physical injury.
An Alford plea is sometimes referred to as a “best interests plea,” in which a defendant enters a guilty plea without pleading guilty in the eyes of the court but accepts the court’s sentence nonetheless.
Judge Michael Fagras sentenced Cook to 15 years in state prison.
On Aug. 12, 2023, Cook was driving the wrong way at 100 miles per hour on Interstate 70, just east of David Hoekel Parkway. Cook struck another vehicle, which resulted in the death of a 7-year-old child from the Kansas City area. The 24-year-old driver of that vehicle was also injured.
Cook’s blood alcohol content was tested two hours after the crash. At that time, it was .20%. The legal limit to drive in the state of Missouri is .08%.
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