Teen sentenced in Bethel Park DUI crash that killed friend

BETHEL PARK, Pa. — A teenager found guilty of killing his friend in a drunken driving accident in Bethel Park was sentenced Wednesday to 2-4 years in prison.

Investigators said Christopher Beck, 19, was drinking when he crashed in May on Stoltz Road. His passenger, 16-year-old Shane Phillips, died.

Phillips was a football player for South Park High School.

“A tragic situation that a young man lost his life, full of potential, and it's sad and nobody wins,” Casey White, Beck’s attorney, said.

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White said the accident hangs over Beck, who will serve 10 years of probation after his prison sentence.

“It's been tough for him and his family. He's young, and I don't know if he grasps the severity of the situation, but it's a lot for him to take,” White said.

Beck could have received nearly a decade in prison, but avoided that with Wednesday’s lighter sentence.

Because Beck is a young, nonviolent offender, he will take part in a boot camp program that will give him a chance to get out of prison in nine months. White said Phillips’ family was OK with the decision, and Beck has offered his sincere apology to them.

“When he is released from prison, he'll be able to use those tools from boot camp to carry on to have a positive impact in the community,” White said.

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• Man, 18, charged in crash that killed his 16-year-old friend
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