Biker pleads guilty to crash that killed Georgia trooper in January
Gerson Danilo Ayala-Rodriguez
ATLANTA - A man who led a Georgia State Trooper on a deadly high-speed chase has pleaded guilty to charges connected to the officer's death. Gerson Danilo Ayala-Rodriguez, 21, entered a guilty plea on Wednesday to first-degree vehicular homicide in the tragic death of Trooper Jimmy Cenescar.
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In addition to the felony charge, Ayala-Rodriguez was also convicted of several misdemeanor offenses, including reckless driving, speeding, two counts of driving without a license, operating a vehicle without insurance, and operating an unregistered vehicle. As part of a negotiated plea deal, Ayala-Rodriguez will serve 17 years in prison.
"We tragically lost a young State Trooper as a result of the defendant’s reckless driving," said Gwinnett County District Attorney Patsy Austin-Gatson. "Ultimately, the defendant accepted responsibility for his actions in this, although it cannot bring back Trooper Cenescar. We hope this serves as a message to drivers and motorcyclists to drive within the safe bounds of the law."
The fatal incident occurred just after 5:30 p.m. on Jan. 28, when Trooper Cenescar's patrol car veered off I-85 south of State Route 317 and down a steep embankment, crashing into trees, shrubbery, a street sign, and a retaining wall. Cenescar had been in pursuit of Ayala-Rodriguez, who was speeding north on a Honda CBR 1000 motorcycle.
Despite the trooper's attempts to pull him over, Ayala-Rodriguez continued to flee at speeds reaching 140 mph, weaving through traffic. As Cenescar tried to avoid colliding with civilian vehicles, he lost control of his patrol car, which struck a guardrail and careened down the embankment.
Trooper Cenescar was laid to rest in February.
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Chief Assistant District Attorney John Melvin, who prosecuted the case, expressed gratitude for the efforts of the State Patrol and the Gwinnett County Police Department. "Together, these agencies ensured justice for the Cenescar family," Melvin said.