NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — A man in Norfolk pleaded guilty to the death of his friend during a drunk driving incident in 2022.

Joseph Medina was convicted of aggravated involuntary manslaughter after causing the death of his shipmate Zachary Soussa in a car crash. Medina was drinking in downtown Norfolk with Soussa on Dec. 9, 2022, into the next morning. Around 2 a.m. on Dec. 10, he drove drunk with Soussa in the passenger seat, and was speeding eastbound on Virginia Beach Boulevard. After losing control, he drove up onto a median and collided with a tree, causing the car to spin midair before crashing into a second tree.

The collision with the second tree ripped the front passenger door off Medina’s vehicle and caused Soussa to eject from the vehicle where he died on impact. Medina was treated for his injuries and records showed his blood alcohol content to be at 0.25.

He originally was going to stand trial on June 10, but opted to plead guilty with a max active sentence of seven years,

“Mr. Medina chose to drive drunk, and he killed his friend,” said Commonwealth’s Attorney Ramin Fatehi. “Had Mr. Medina called a cab, nobody would have to pay the price for his crime. Now Mr. Medina faces a prison sentence, and Mr. Soussa’s family faces a lifetime without their loved one. If you choose to drink, choose not to drive.”