Sean Michael Cottrell, who drove his roommate’s BMW into a crowd of pedestrians on Sabado Tarde Road in late January, pleaded guilty to felony DUI charges and a felony hit-and-run charge last Friday.

Cottrell, a senior at UCSB, was arrested Jan. 27after he hit 11 pedestrians on the corner of the 6500 block of Sabado Tarde Road at approximately 2 a.m. and then fled the scene on foot. California Highway Patrol Officer Donald Clotworthy said Cottrell, 23, has been in custody since his arrest and will remain in jail until his sentencing hearing on March 20.

Clotworthy said nobody was seriously injured in the accident, but one person suffered a broken ankle. He said he thinks the incident illustrates how important it is for pedestrians to be cautious and aware of their surroundings while walking around I.V. at night.

Clotworthy said Cottrell’s accident reminds him of the Feb. 2001 incident when 18-year-old UCSB student David Attias killed four pedestrians while driving down the 6500 block of Sabado Tarde. He said there is always the potential for such accidents to occur in I.V. because there are so many college students traveling on foot in the area during the night.

Clotworthy said he thinks people should be aware of their own personal safety while walking through I.V. because the CHP mostly focuses on policing the roads, rather than pedestrians.

“We do everything we can to patrol and get people off the roadways,” Clotworthy said. “Everyone should always watch out for their personal safety during the day and night, on and off the sidewalk.

If residents witness a potentially dangerous situation, such as a drunk driver, they should call 9-1-1 and get in contact with the I.V. Foot Patrol immediately, Clotworthy said. He said the best way to avoid future incidents like Cottrell’s accident is for all of I.V. to work together to prevent them.

“It’s important for the community to pull together and communicate with us so we can prevent things like this from happening again,” Clotworthy said.