A Hartland man charged in connection with December’s fatal hit-and-run crash in Albert Lea pleaded guilty Friday in Freeborn County District Court to criminal vehicular homicide.

Sentencing for Leslie David Jones, 52, is scheduled for July 20.

As part of the plea agreement, Jones’ lawyer, Daniel Donnelly of Austin, and Assistant Freeborn County Attorney David Walker agreed to depart from his presumptive sentence of more than seven years in prison to a maximum sentence of nearly five years in prison.

Jones is charged in the Dec. 16 crash on East Main Street near McDonald’s that killed Joanne Carol Klein, 66, of Albert Lea.

Jones admitted Friday to driving the Ford Ranger extended cab that struck Klein as she was crossing the road, noting he did not see her before his pickup struck her. He admitted to having a good suspicion that he struck her and to not engaging law enforcement at the scene before driving back to his home.

He claimed his phone had died that night.

He said after going back home, he checked the status of the crash online and admitted to not  contacting law enforcement.

He also admitted to returning to Motor Inn for work the next day before being arrested.

After the plea agreement was announced, Donnelly argued for Jones to be released on his own recognizance, but District Court Judge Steven Schwab kept conditional bail at $150,000.

Jones originally faced a second charge of not having a Minnesota driver’s license, but that charge was dismissed with the plea agreement.