SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — Friday was the final day of testimony in a court case that involves a deadly crash that took the lives of two teens in April .
Damion Laurelez was 17 years old when authorities say he slammed an SUV into a Sioux Falls home while going nearly 80 miles per hour. On Friday morning, it was up to the defense to convince the judge that Laurelez should not be tried as an adult.
The defense argued that Laurelez’s actions that morning were not intentional.
In an effort to convince the judge to have the case handled in juvenile court, the defense called a psychologist to the stand. The expert witness told the judge he ran several evaluations on Laurelez. He said it led him to diagnose him with Oppositional Defiant Disorder (O.D.D.). In some cases, he said the disorder can make a person more likely to have criminal-like behaviors.
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The defense added that Laurelez had little driving experience and that he tried to brake before the crash.