Jayson Williams

NEW YORK CITY (BNO NEWS) – Former NBA star Jayson Williams pleaded guilty on Friday to drunk driving while intoxicated (DWI) during a car wreck in New York City and a judge sentenced him to serve one year in prison in addition to his current term, the Wall Street Journal reported.

On January 5, Williams crashed his Mercedes Benz SUV into a tree near a Manhattan highway. At that moment, the former basketball player had a blood-alcohol level of 0.19, twice the legal limit of 0.08.

The ex-New Jersey Nets forward is already serving a five–year sentence, with a possible parole after 18 months, for the 2002 accidental shooting his limo driver, Costas “Gus” Christofi at his Holland Township estate.

Williams, 42, decided to admit the DWI charge instead of entering a trial. However, neither Williams nor his lawyer, Oscar Holt, expected that the judge will impose the maximum sentence allowed.

“The sentence seems excessive, but it’s a small price to pay if it helps to deter drunk-driving. I’ll be the poster child for that if it’s going to save lives,” Williams said at court. “This is the price Mr. Williams is paying for being Jayson Williams, a celebrity,” Holt said while expressing his disappointment over the sentencing.

Williams was once a star player in the NBA, known for his extraordinary rebounding skills but his private life was a constant presence in the media and continued to escalate until he landed in prison.

After both the shooting and the DWI incident, Williams tried to conceal his responsibility. After crashing his SUV last January, Williams changed seats and tried to conceit the fact that he was driving, telling law agents that the driver had left the scene.

On Friday, Williams said he was extremely sorry for his actions. He added that he chose to plead guilty to the charges, even though he knew he could get a long sentence, because he wanted to move on with his life.