On Monday, 51-year-old Lawrence S. Slater pleaded guilty in Chenango County Court to causing a fatal head-on crash in Oxford earlier this year while driving intoxicated, causing the death of an Oxford resident, 62-year-old Steven C. Biviano. (Evening Sun file photo)

NORWICH - A Norwich man who caused a fatal head-on crash in Oxford earlier this year pleaded guilty to vehicular manslaughter and driving while intoxicated in Chenango County Court on Monday and was given a 5-to-15-year state prison sentence.

According to Chenango County District Attorney Michael Ferrarese, 51-year-old Lawrence S. Slater left a local establishment in Oxford at around 9:11 p.m. on April 12 under the strong influence of alcohol and was more than double the legal intoxication limit to operate a vehicle.

“The message that needs to be sent out there in the community is: When you make poor decisions, and get behind wheel, and kill an innocent person driving down the road, there will be consequences,” said Ferrarese.

The collision killed, 62-year-old Steven C. Biviano of Oxford, who was pronounced dead at the scene.

Slater appeared before Chenango County Court Judge Frank B. Revoir, Jr. to accept the plea agreement after prosecutors consulted with the victim's family members, said the DA.

According to New York State Police the crash occurred in Oxford on State Highway 12, just south of County Road 4.

A New York State Trooper driving by discovered the crash scene and immediately called for aid. An investigation determined that Slater’s Dodge Caravan had crossed the double yellow lines and struck Biviano’s Chevrolet Equinox head-on.

Slater was taken to UHS Wilson Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Chemical testing later showed his blood alcohol content was 0.18 percent, more than twice the legal limit in New York.

A Chenango County Grand Jury indicted Slater on June 18 on six criminal counts, the most serious being aggravated vehicular homicide, a Class B felony.

The other charges included first-degree vehicular manslaughter, a Class C felony; second-degree vehicular manslaughter, a Class D felony; second-degree manslaughter, a Class C felony; aggravated driving while intoxicated, a Class E felony; and driving while intoxicated, a misdemeanor. The indictment was unsealed on July 11.

Ferrarese said Slater had a prior alcohol related conviction more than 10 years ago.

The court also ordered Slater to pay the associated funeral costs and related damages, totaling just under $20,000.