For once in his live, Lance Armstrong admitted guilt.
The disgraced cyclist pleaded guilty by mail to careless driving for hitting two parked cars with his SUV in Aspen last December, avoiding a court appearance scheduled for March 17. Armstrong's girlfriend, Anna Hansen, originally shouldered the blame in order to avoid media attention.
According to detective Rick Magnuson, it was a decision made by both parties.
"I asked Hansen if Armstrong asked her to take the blame for the accident once they got home," Magnuson wrote in his police report (via the Daily Aspen News). "She replied, 'No, that was a joint decision, and, um, you know we've had our family name smeared over every paper in the world in the last couple of years and honestly, I've got teenagers, I just wanted to protect my family because I thought, 'Gosh, Anna Hansen hit some cars, it's not going to show up in the papers, but Lance Armstrong hit some cars, it's going to be a national story.'"
Eventually, the events that transpired on Dec. 28, 2015 became a national story, but the gravity of said events aren't enough to further derail Armstrong.
After pleading guilty, the 43-year-old was forced to pay $238.50 to cover court fees and a $150 fine, this according to court records published by local NBC affiliate 9News. In the state of Colorado, careless driving can be punished by up to 90 days in jail.
Deputy District Attorney Andrea Bryan, however, admits jail time is rare for such cases and pleas are often reached by mail.
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