A Virginia man entered a guilty plea on Tuesday to charges in connection with a 2015 motor vehicle accident that left the man and two women seriously injured.

Zachary Thomas Michalski, 24, of Gloucester, Va., formerly of Elizabethton, entered a guilty plea to two charges of reckless aggravated assault and received a split confinement sentence. Under state law, reckless aggravated assault is categorized as a “Class D Felony.”

Criminal Court Judge Stacy Street sentenced Michalski to serve four years on probation through the Tennessee Department of Corrections, but first Michalski must serve 30 days in jail as a condition of the alternative sentencing agreement. Street also ordered Michalski to pay restitution to the two women injured in the crash — Irene Vines and Shirley Carver.

The charges against Michalski stem from a two-vehicle crash that happened on Sept. 12, 2015, at around 12:45 p.m. on West Elk Avenue in front of the Veterans of Foreign Wars post and Cline-Holder Electric.

Witnesses told police a blue Ford Focus was traveling west on the busy city road, crossed over the center line and struck an eastbound Ford Windstar mini-van. Police identified Michalski as the driver of the Focus. Vines was driving the Windstar and Carver was a passenger in the mini-van.

Emergency crews on the scene extricated both Michalski and Vines from the vehicles and Carver was able to get out of the car on her own. Emergency medical personnel transported Michalski, Vines, and Carver to the Johnson City Medical Center for treatment. Carver was treated and released from the emergency room but both Michalski and Vines were admitted to the hospital for extended care due to their injuries.

At the time of the accident, Elizabethton Police Department Cpl. Doug Combs, who investigated the crash, said impairment on the part of Michalski may have been a contributing factor to the crash.

While Combs was investigating the crash, he said he found a can of Ultra Duster, a brand of canned duster air, lying in the road next to Michalski’s car.

“The can was almost empty and was cold to the touch,” Combs said. “When asked, Mr. Michalski admitted to consuming air duster prior to the collision.”

Combs spoke to Michalski and Vines regarding what they remembered of the crash.

Vines told Combs she saw the Ford Focus cross over the turning lane and into her lane of travel but she could not avoid the collision due to other vehicles being around her. Michalski told Combs he remembered driving west on West Elk Avenue but he did not remember the accident.