Man pleads guilty in KCK crash that killed mother of television reporter

A 29-year-old Kansas City, Kan., man pleaded guilty Friday to fleeing from police and causing a crash that killed a 62-year-old woman earlier this year.

Christopher Bradley Stewart pleaded guilty in Wyandotte County District Court to a charge of second-degree murder in the February death of Graciela Olivas.

Stewart also pleaded guilty to a charge of eluding police. Prosecutors dismissed a third charge of interfering with a police officer.

Sentencing was scheduled for Aug. 20.

Stewart was wanted on a warrant for failing to appear in court for sentencing in a drug case when a Kansas City, Kan., police officer tried to pull him over. Stewart sped away and ran several stop signs before colliding at 34th Street and Shawnee Drive with a car driven by Olivas, the mother of former local television reporter Sandra Olivas.

He initially was charged with first-degree murder, which carries a life sentence. Under the terms of Friday’s plea agreement, attorneys will recommend maximum consecutive sentences on the charges, including the original drug charge.

Defense attorney Josh Allen said that under Kansas sentencing guidelines, Stewart will have to serve about 18 years in prison if the judge follows the plea agreement.

The Olivas and Stewart families both declined to comment after Friday’s hearing.

Allen said that Stewart was remorseful and wanted to take responsibility for what he did.

This story was originally published July 11, 2014 at 1:33 PM with the headline "Man pleads guilty in KCK crash that killed mother of television reporter."