Sentencing Begins for Driver in Fatal Texas Church Bus Crash
The driver convicted in a church bus crash that left 13 dead in Uvalde, Texas last year will facing sentencing after pleading no contest to 13 counts of intoxication manslaughter.
Details of the Fatal Texas Bus Crash Conviction
According to US News, 21-year-old Jack Dillon Young, of Leakey, pleaded no contest in June to 13 counts of intoxication manslaughter and one count of intoxication assault. He now faces up to 270 years in prison.
Prosecutors state Young was under the influence of a prescription antidepressant and had smoked marijuana before colliding with a church bus on U.S. Highway 83 about 75 miles west of San Antonio. Young’s defense attorney did not contest Young’s involvement in the accident or drug use, but did say Young’s doctors did not properly monitor the man’s prescription drug use.
Young’s sentencing began Wednesday and is expected to last at least through the week.
Texas Auto Accident Statistics
The following information was provided by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT):
- 3,773 people were killed in Texas traffic accidents in 2016, marking a 5.45% increase from the 3,578 deaths reported in 2015.
- 638 of the deaths reported in 2016 were attributed to head-on collision.
- Alcohol was determined to be a factor in 987 traffic deaths, accounting for roughly 26% of all Texas traffic fatalities.
- An additional 264,076 people were injured in auto accidents in Texas in 2016.
- Based on reportable data for 2016, TxDOT estimates:
- One person was killed in a traffic accident every 2 hours and 20 minutes.
- One person was injured every 1 minute and 59 seconds.
- A reportable crash occurred every 57 seconds.
Contact an Experienced Auto Accident Attorney
If you or a loved one have been injured in a car crash, contact Thomas J. Henry. Our experienced Corpus Christi car accident attorneys have experience handling a multitude of injury accidents, no matter how severe the crash or injury. You may be entitled to compensation for your damages if another driver acted negligently. Our firm has the experienced lawyers and financial resources that you need to achieve the real results you deserve.
Our firm has offices in Corpus Christi, San Antonio, Austin, and Houston, serving clients across Texas and nationwide. Call us today for a free case review — attorneys are available 24/7, nights and weekends. If you cannot make it to our office, we can visit you at your home, in the hospital, or at work.
