Texas Woman Sentenced in Distracted Driving Crash that Killed Two Sisters

A Texas woman convicted of killing two young girls in a distracted driving accident has been sentenced to jail time and probation.

About the Fatal Distracted Crash and Resulting Conviction

KXAN reports Shelby Buchanan, of Abilene, was sentenced to 60 days in county jail and 10 years of probation for a fatal distracted driving crash that claimed the lives of sisters Melissa Grace Lindley, 14, and Starla Lindley, 11.

An investigation showed Buchanan was using a fast-food app to order Chick-fil-A in March 2018 when she slammed into the back of a minivan on I-20 in Abilene. Melissa and Grace were killed on impact.

Buchanan pleaded county guilty to two counts of manslaughter earlier this year. As a condition of her probation, Buchanan is required to complete 800 hours of humanity service.

The prosecutor hopes the conviction will serve as a warning to other drivers.

Texas Car Crash Statistics

The following information was provided by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT):

  • 3,623 people were killed in crashes on Texas roadways in 2019. This marked a slight decrease from the 3,656 deaths reported in 2018.
  • 67% of those fatalities occurred in rural areas of the state, totaling 1,672 deaths.
  • An additional 256,797 people were injured in crashes in Texas with 15,855 people sustaining serious injuries.
  • Based on crash data for 2019:
    • A traffic death occurred in Texas every 2 hours and 25 minutes.
    • A traffic injury occurred every 2 minutes and 3 seconds.
    • A reportable crash occurred every 56 seconds.

Contact an Experienced Distracted Driving Accident Lawyer

If you or a loved one has been involved in a crash with a distracted driver, call Thomas J. Henry Law immediately.

Thomas J. Henry Law has represented injured clients throughout Texas for nearly 30 years. We will take immediate action on your case, putting you in the best position to recover maximum compensation for your injuries and damages.

We work on a contingency fee basis which means you pay us nothing unless and until we win your case. If you are unable to travel to our office we can send an experienced Texas car accident lawyer directly to you.

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