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Illinois Man Avoids Jail In Deadly S. Fla. Hit & Run

FORT LAUDERDALE (CBS4) -- An Illinois man charged in a deadly hit-and-run crash that killed two British businessmen in Fort Lauderdale pleaded guilty Friday morning to two counts of vehicular homicide and leaving the scene of a fatal crash.

According to The Sun Sentinel, Ryan LeVin was immediately sentenced to two years of house arrest and ten years probation. LeVin was also given several conditions including that he never drive again and immediately pay the amount of a confidential settlement in a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the victims' families.

The February 2009 crash killed 39-year-old Craig Elford and 48-year-old Kenneth Watkinson when they were struck by LeVin's Porsche 911 Turbo along State Road A1A in Fort Lauderdale. LeVin was racing the sports car when he lost control, careened onto the sidewalk and struck the two men just yards from the hotel where they were staying.

The damaged Porsche was abandoned at the northbound ramp connecting Interstate 595 to Interstate 95.

Until now, LeVin had denied he was driving the Porsche at the time of the crash, pinning the blame on his friend Derek Cook, 39, of Tamarac.

Accused of dumping the damaged car for LeVin, Cook in September pleaded no contest to two felony counts – accessory after the fact and aggravated fleeing and eluding. He agreed to testify against LeVin in exchange for reduced charges and a probation sentence.

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