Drunk drag racer admits to death of friend

Erix Santiago, 26, of Dorchester, pleaded guilty today to charges of motor vehicle homicide while under the influence of alcohol, drag racing, and speeding in connection with the death of his friend and passenger, Errol Barrett, last May.

Santiago was sentenced to five to six years in prison, according to the Suffolk County District Attorney's office, which had sought seven to ten.

According to the DA's office, Santiago was drag racing his 1994 Civic while drunk down Rutherford Avenue around 3 a.m. on May 26 when he lost control. His car flipped over repeatedly and struck a light pole:

The light pole penetrated the passenger’s seat area, killing Barrett. Post-collision analysis showed that the car was traveling at about 50 mph in a 40 mph zone when Santiago lost control, and medical experts would have testified at trial that Santiago's blood-alcohol level was higher than .20 when he was hospitalized afterwards.