A Bel Air woman pleaded guilty Monday to vehicular manslaughter for her role in a fatal crash on Route 543 in Fountain Green last year, and will be sentenced to five years in state prison followed by five years of probation.
Nicole Albers, 28, pleaded guilty Monday at a pre-trial conference in Harford County Circuit Court. Under her plea agreement, she will receive the maximum 10-year sentence with all but five years suspended. Once released, she will placed on supervised probation for five years, including special conditions of drug treatment and testing, according to Harford County State’s Attorney Joseph Cassilly.
Albers had initially faced nine counts in connection with the July 21, 2011 crash, including negligent homicide while impaired by drugs, and reckless driving.
According to Maryland State Police investigators, Albers was northbound on Route 543 near the Fountain Green Swim Club in a 2002 Chrysler 300M when her vehicle struck a southbound 2010 Lexus driven by Albert DiCocco, 65, of Bel Air.
In a release, Cassilly said Albers was speeding and crossed the double yellow line into the opposing lane. DiCocco swerved to avoid her, but his vehicle was struck on the passenger side, occupied by Carolyn DiCocco, 64.
Carolyn DiCocco was pronounced dead at the scene. Albers and a passenger in her vehicle, Alycia Hoffman, 23, of Bel Air were airlifted to R Adams Cowley University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center in fair condition. Albert DiCocco was transported to Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, and later released.
According to Cassilly, subsequent testing of Albers’ blood found Alprazolam—a form of Xanax—as well as methadone and amphetamine.
Albers has been held at the Harford County Detention Center since her arrest on the charges in May. Formal sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 1.
Nicole A. Albers
She deserves every day of her sentence and more!
A plea bargin to only one charge, and for just five years? I bet she’ll be out in two…
Yea thats what sad she probably still have her license, she wont be serving 5yrs cuz they will give you time off from being at hcdc and 5 dsys off month in doc so mosy likely she go up for parol with in 6mo hope she dont get it. But doc for womans time shorter I just left there about 4 mo ago on 5yr sentence was out in 6mo ..so it sucks you only have do quarter of time
Fry her
Prosecutors office needs to be reamed for letting this one slide by without extracting a maximum sentence for ALL charges, including MURDER ! Plain & simple She’ll forever be know as the Murderer of a Beloved Wife, Mother, Grandmother, Co-worker . . .
“…she will receive the maximum 10-year sentence with all but five years suspended.” That’s HALF the sentence suspended (and surely she won’t serve all of it anyway)! Come on! This dope-head murderer deserves MUCH worse.