Judge rejects plea deal in traffic fatal

MOSCOW - A state judge has tossed out a plea agreement reached for a man accused of killing a Potlatch woman in a drunk driving accident because the recommended sentence was too harsh.

The agreement was rejected Wednesday by 2nd District Judge John Stegner in the case of 28-year-old Jessie Hewes.

Hewes pleaded guilty in March to vehicular manslaughter and aggravated driving under the influence for his role in a November accident. Now, the Moscow-Pullman Daily News reports Hewes will be go to trial facing one count of vehicular manslaughter and three counts of aggravated DUI.