Man from Bolivar Enters Guilty Plea in Hit-and-Run that Killed One in 2022

A man from Bolivar will spend several years in prison after pleading guilty to charges stemming from a hit-and-run crash that killed another man back in 2022.

Investigators say 45-year-old John Hofstetter was driving along Kansas Expressway near the intersection of Division Street on April 26, 2022, when his SUV drove onto the median and struck 59-year-old Jerry Westmoreland.

After the crash, Westmoreland was transported to a Springfield hospital, where he later died.

Prosecutors say Hofstetter pleaded guilty last Friday, June 14, to involuntary manslaughter and leaving the scene of an accident. He was sentenced to four years in prison for each charge, but they will be served concurrently.