Lane Garrison has faced the consequences.
The former Prison Break actor pleaded guilty Monday to a felony count of vehicular manslaughter and other alcohol-related charges stemming from the December car crash that killed 17-year-old Beverly Hills High School student Vahagn Setian and injured two 15-year-old girls.
Garrison, 26, appeared in court to enter his plea, telling Beverly Hills Superior Court Judge Elden Fox, "I am guilty, your honor," on each count.
In addition to the manslaughter charge, he pleaded guilty to a felony charge of driving under the influence causing injury and a misdemeanor charge of providing alcohol to minors and also acknowledged having a blood-alcohol count of over 0.15 at the time of the accident.
He is scheduled to be sentenced Aug. 2 and could face a maximum of six years and eight months behind bars. He currently remains free on $100,000 bail and has been instructed not to drive, drink alcohol or have any contact with witnesses or victims of the crash.
In court Monday, Deputy District Attorney Joseph Markus pushed for the full sentence to be enforced, telling the judge, "We believe it is a prison case."
The victim's family echoed the sentiment in a brief statement: "The Setian family supports the district attorney's request for a state prison term when Mr. Garrison is sentenced."
Garrison's lawyer, Harland Braun, said last month that the actor was prepared to take responsibility for his actions.
"Mr. Garrison's attitude is basically, 'Look, I did something wrong, I'm going to face up to my responsibilities, and I'm going to accept my punishment,' " Braun said.
The actor's troubles began Dec. 2 when he reportedly encountered a group of teenagers at an L.A. supermarket and agreed to accompany them to a party.
At the time of Garrison's arrest, Braun said the actor had one drink at the party and left to meet a friend, allowing three teens to tag along. His next memory, the lawyer claimed, was of waking up in the hospital with a cab voucher in his lap.
Meanwhile, witnesses from the party had a slightly different version of events, telling TMZ that Garrison took "several shots" from a bottle of Grey Goose vodka he brought with him and that he was actually on his way to buy more alcohol for the party at the time of the crash.
Wherever Garrison was heading, he didn't make it there. As the actor drove through Beverly Hills, his SUV jumped a curb and hit a tree, killing Setian and injuring his other passengers, one critically.
Garrison suffered only minor injuries in the accident.
A police investigation revealed that Garrison registered a blood-alcohol level of 0.20—more than twice the legal limit—at the time of the crash and tested positive for cocaine.
He was also believed to have been driving at between 47 and 51 miles per hour, well over the 25-mph speed limit.
Last month, Braun said Garrison was aware that "he's the lucky one—the young man died and he's alive. He understands he could have been dead and he's responsible."
Setian's parents have since founded the Vahagn Setian Charitable Foundation in memory of their son. According to a statement on its Website, the organization will serve to "constantly remind students to be aware of the danger of riding with anyone they suspect of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs—especially someone they do not know."