Man charged in fatal crash enters insanity plea

A Santa Cruz man charged with the murder in the killing of a mother of four in a wrong-way driving crash has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity.

KION-TV reports that the attorney representing Eric Weers, William Wiegel, entered the plea on behalf of his client Thursday.

The insanity plea comes after Weers had previously pleaded not guilty after being charged in the case last summer.

The 29-year-old Weers is accused of driving his SUV into oncoming traffic on Highway 17 in Santa Cruz and crashing into a car driven by Ana Luz Barajas on July 11.

The 48-year-old Barajas died at the scene.

Wiegel says his client has a history of mental illness, but Santa Cruz County District Attorney Bob Lee says he doesn't believe doctors will find that Weers was insane at the time of the crash.