A Vinton man who downed 12 beers before driving into oncoming traffic on Gus Nicks Boulevard was convicted Thursday of aggravated involuntary manslaughter.

Raymond L. Burks was driving a Plymouth minivan the evening of Sept. 7 when he drifted into the opposite lane, colliding head-on with a Pontiac Bonneville.

David Stiff, 36, a passenger in the Pontiac, was killed in the crash. A second passenger in the car, Paul Hackett, suffered severe head injuries.

Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Peter Lubeck said Burks had a blood-alcohol content of about 0.25 percent -- more than three times the legal limit.

Burks, 43, is scheduled to be sentenced Aug. 20. He faces up to 26 years in prison.

At a hearing Thursday in Roanoke Circuit Court, Burks pleaded guilty to aggravated involuntary manslaughter, DUI maiming and drunken driving.

Lubeck gave the following summary of evidence:

Burks, who had been watching football and drinking beer all day, was headed toward Vinton on Gus Nicks Boulevard when he crossed a double line near King Street, striking the Pontiac, which was driven by David LaPrade.

With Stiff dead in the front seat and Hackett pinned by the wreckage in the back seat, LaPrade ran off. He spent the night in nearby Thrasher Park and turned himself in to police the next day, saying he did not remember the wreck. He was later charged with leaving the scene of a fatal accident and sentenced to two months in jail.

Immediately after the collision, a Mercury Sable that was traveling on Gus Nicks Boulevard behind LaPrade's car struck the Pontiac. The driver, a 16-year-old girl who had just gotten her driver's license, and her passenger were not injured.

Burks, who has a prior DUI conviction, was allowed to remain free pending his sentencing.

While Burks did not testify, Assistant Public Defender Tom Love apologized to Stiff's family members on his behalf.