A Navy sailor pleaded guilty to manslaughter Friday for causing the death of his shipmate while driving drunk nearly two years ago.

Joseph Nicholas Medina, 24, was drinking in downtown Norfolk with his friend, Zachary Michael Soussa, also 24, until the early morning hours of Dec. 10, 2022. With Soussa in the passenger seat, Medina was speeding east on Virginia Beach Boulevard near the intersection with Park Avenue, according to the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office.

Medina, whose address is listed in court records as Millersille, Pennsylvania, lost control of the vehicle and drove onto a median. The car struck a tree, which caused it to spin and hit another tree. According to prosecutors, hitting the second tree caused the passenger door to be ripped off and Soussa to be thrown from the vehicle. He died on impact.

Police detained Medina after he was released from the hospital; he was found to have a blood-alcohol content of 0.25, more than three times the legal limit for operating a vehicle in Virginia.

Medina pleaded guilty Friday to one felony count of aggravated involuntary manslaughter. Under a plea agreement, he will be sentenced by a judge to no more than seven years in prison.

“Mr. Medina chose to drive drunk, and he killed his friend,” Commonwealth’s Attorney Ramin Fatehi said in a release. “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.”

Soussa, a 2nd Class Petty Officer, was born in Philadelphia. He began his Navy career in 2017 and went on to earn many awards, according to his obituary. He spent three years in San Diego and was promoted twice before spending two years in Norfolk aboard the carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower. While serving on the USS America, he earned the nickname “Big Red.”

“Zach was known for his infectious smile and loveable personality that could light up any room,” his obituary reads. “He was truly one of a kind and to know Zach is to love him. He truly will be missed.”

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