JEFFERSON, Ohio — Soap opera star Freddie Smith will be sentenced Feb. 18 after pleading guilty Tuesday in Ashtabula County Common Pleas Court.

Smith, 26, of Los Angeles, Calif., pleaded guilty to vehicular assault, a fourth-degree felony, and operating a vehicle while intoxicated, a first-degree misdemeanor. All charges are related to his Oct. 7 car crash in Kingsville Township, Ohio.

He is facing zero to 24 months in jail and driver’s license suspension, Ashtabula County Prosecutor Nicholas Iarocci said.

When Common Pleas Judge Gary Yost asked Smith what happened, Smith said he was driving to his parent’s home in Ashtabula on Oct. 7 and fell asleep at the wheel because he had been drinking.

“I went off to the left, injuring my girlfriend, as well as myself,” he said.

A native of Ashtabula, Smith, flanked by his attorney, Thomas Simon of Ashtabula, pleaded to information — a legal move in Ohio that bypasses the grand jury process and the case goes directly to court.

Yost told Smith that “it appears you have been candid about what occurred (on Oct. 7).”

Yost ordered a pre-sentence investigation, and scheduled the actual sentencing for 1 p.m. Feb. 18. Smith remains free on a $5,000 personal recognizance bond.

Smith’s blood alcohol test result was .093, when the legal limit in Ohio is .08, according to Ohio State Highway Patrol reports.

His girlfriend, actress Alyssa Tabit, 27, of North Hollywood, Calif., was seriously injured in the crash, according to the Ohio Highway Patrol. She is recovering from her injuries.

The couple was in town visiting for a wedding.

OHP troopers said Smith’s Mazda 6 crossed the center line at about 12:40 a.m. Oct. 7, traveled to the left side of Route 84 and hit a culvert, causing the vehicle to flip end over end.

Smith plays the part of Sonny Kiriakis on the daytime soap opera, “Days of Our Lives.”

Terry writes for the Star Beacon.