The Washington D.C. tour bus driver who accidentally hit and killed Skagway’s mayor and her mother during a trip to the nation’s Capitol pled guilty. He now faces up to four years in jail for two counts of felony negligent homicide.

Skagway’s mayor Monica Carlson and her mother Cora Louise Adams were in a crosswalk on Pennsylvania Avenue last December when driver Gerard James made an illegal left turn while talking on a cell phone. That’s according to video footage from inside the bus.

The 61 year-old mayor and her 85 year-old mother were hit and taken to an area hospital where they were pronounced dead. The women were visiting the White House’s Christmas decorations as tourists.

The 45-year-old driver had decades of driving experience without major incidents and no criminal history, the court heard. His attorney said he accepted a plea deal because he wanted to take responsibility for his negligence. He apologized to the family ahead of his sentencing, which is slated for mid-November.

Monica Carlson had been Skagway’s mayor since 2017. Mayor Andrew Cremata is finishing her term, which expires this year. He says the community is still grieving.