JEFFERSON COUNTY — A 25-year-old Energy man accused of causing the 2017 traffic death of 18-year-old Emma Caserotti, of Mt. Vernon, pleaded guilty Tuesday to three of nine DUI charges against him.

Cole Stevens was arrested last June after he crossed Interstate 57 near Ina and struck Caserotti’s Jeep head-on, killing her and seriously injured her friend and passenger Tristen Sharp.

According to Jefferson County State’s Attorney Sean Featherstun, Stevens is facing between 3 and 14 years in prison for the Class 2 felony charge of aggravated driving under the influence of drugs causing the death of Emma Caserotti.

He’s facing 1 to 12 years for the Class 4 felony charge of aggravated DUI resulting in an accident causing bodily harm to Sharp. He also pleaded guilty to a lesser and included charge of misdemeanor driving under the influence of drugs.

Stevens submitted an open plea of guilty Tuesday to the original charges filed against him. The other six charges were filed after the results of blood tests on Stevens were returned.

According to Featherstun, the Class 2 felony Stevens pleaded guilty to is the harshest charge available, as reckless homicide has a maximum sentencing range of 2 to 5 years, with day for day credit. Stevens will have to serve 85 percent of the Class 2 sentence.

An open plea does not come with an agreed upon sentence. Judge Jerry Crisel will decide how much time Stevens will serve in prison, based upon a pre-sentencing investigation. A status hearing on that investigation is scheduled for June 5.