Pingel pleads not guilty in Hastings fatal crash case

HASTINGS, Neb. (KSNB) - The Hastings man accused of felony Motor Vehicle Homicide in the December traffic deaths of two teenagers has pleaded not guilty.

Anthony Pingel, 32, is charged in Adams County District Court with two counts of felony Motor Vehicle Homicide, two counts of misdemeanor Third Degree Assault, one count of misdemeanor Driving Under the Influence, and one count of Contempt of Court. He had been scheduled for a hearing in Adams County District Court, but court records indicated that he waived that hearing by filing a written not guilty plea on Jan. 27.

His next court date is April 14 for a pre-trial hearing.

Pingel was arrested after a Dec. 12 accident just east of Hastings in which two teenagers died.

The teenagers who died in the crash were Victoria Fleming, 16, of Superior, and Tristen Owens, 18, of Hastings. The vehicle carrying the victims was fully engulfed in flames when emergency crews arrived at the scene. The assault charges are related to injuries suffered by two other passengers riding in the victim’s vehicle. An Adams County court official told Local4 that the contempt of court charge was related to Pingel’s alleged refusal to comply with a court-ordered blood test.

According to the arrest affidavit, when deputies arrived on the scene, they observed a silver Jeep, registered to Pingel with extensive front-end damage. Court records indicate that investigators observed Pingel to be under the influence of alcohol.

If convicted of felony motor vehicle homicide, Pingel could be sentenced to up to 20 years in prison on each of the two counts, for a possible total of 40 years. The max penalties for convictions on the misdemeanor charges total just more than two years in prison and/or $2,500 in fines.