A Westminster man who survived a head-on collision that killed another man near Hampstead last summer was sentenced to five years in prison yesterday after being found guilty of auto manslaughter and driving while intoxicated.

In a plea arrangement, Lester Lee Rhoton, 33, of the 2400 block of Mayberry Road entered a not guilty plea in Carroll County Circuit Court, but agreed to accept the prosecutor's statement of facts.

Judge Raymond E. Beck Sr. sentenced Rhoton to 10 years, but suspended half the time on the manslaughter charge and made a two-year sentence on the DWI charge concurrent.

George Mentis Jr., 48, of Baltimore was killed in the fiery July 3 crash.

According to state police, Rhoton was driving between 67 mph and 72 mph in a 40-mph zone on Upper Beckleysville Road at 12: 01 a.m. when he failed to brake to avoid rear-ending another vehicle. He swerved and his Ford pickup skidded across the center line and struck Mentis' Dodge Colt traveling in the opposite direction.

Both vehicles burst into flames, police said. Mentis was trapped in his car and pronounced dead at the scene.

Rhoton was airlifted in critical condition to Maryland Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore, where he was treated for burns on more than 35 percent of his body and multiple fractures.

"It was the defendant's third alcohol-related driving offense since 1984," said prosecutor David P. Daggett.

Rhoton's blood-alcohol content was 0.17, Daggett said.

The state's legal standard for driving while intoxicated is 0.10.

Pub Date: 3/24/99