A Texas driver has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for the 2023 crash that killed Dixie Chicks founding member Laura Lynch. The sentence came after he accepted a plea deal with prosecutors in the deadly case.
Who was Domenick Chavez?
According to KFOX, Domenick Chavez, 33, has pleaded guilty to manslaughter in connection with the crash. He received a reduced 15-year prison sentence after admitting he was recklessly driving at more than 100 mph at the time of the collision.
Chavez was driving even though his license had been suspended due to two prior DWI convictions in 2014 and 2017. Investigators later determined he was not under the influence of alcohol or drugs during the crash but confirmed he had been speeding.
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Details about the accident
The crash happened on December 22, 2023, just before 6pm local time in Hudspeth County, Texas which is near Cornudas between El Paso and Dell City. Chavez tried to pass four vehicles on the highway and was driving between 106 and 114 mph when he crashed head-on into Laura Lynch’s Ford F-150.
Chavez’s truck also caught the fire after the crash and he was taken to a hospital with “non-life-threatening” injuries.
Laura Lynch who was 52 had strong ties to the area. She split her time between Fort Worth and Dell City where she owned rental properties and supported her hometown, the El Paso Times reported.
According to the outlet, James Montoya, the El Paso district attorney said that “the death of Ms. Lynch caused profound sadness for her family, the Dell City community, and all those who appreciated her music. It is a loss made more acute by the fact that it happened just days before Christmas.”
“Our office will continue to hold accountable those defendants who choose to drive in an extremely dangerous manner”, they added.
Lynch co-founded the Dixie Chicks in 1990 with Robin Lynn Macy and sisters Martie Maguire and Emily Strayer. She recorded three albums with the group before leaving in 1993.