A 33-year-old man was sentenced to 15 years in prison after admitting to careless driving and causing a crash that killed one of the Dixie Chicks’ founding members in Hudspeth County.
Domenick Chavez pleaded guilty to manslaughter in connection with the head-on incident that killed 65-year-old Laura Lynch, according to El Paso District Attorney James Montoya.
The crash occurred on December 22, 2023, at approximately 6 p.m. on US62/180, at mile marker 74 in Hudspeth County.
Montoya stated that as part of the plea agreement, Chavez was sentenced to 15 years in prison.
On the night of the incident, Chavez was driving with a suspended license, which had been revoked due to penalties from two DWI convictions in 2014 and 2017.
Montoya went on to say that, while Chavez was not inebriated at the time of the incident, investigators discovered that he was driving at speeds ranging from 106 to 114 mph.
Investigators also put together how the incident occurred, stating that Chavez was driving a 2022 Dodge Ram pickup truck westbound toward El Paso County when he attempted to pass four vehicles on a two-way undivided roadway.
As a result, authorities believe Chavez collided head-on with Lynch’s 2016 F-150 pickup truck, causing his truck to catch fire and trapping Lynch inside her truck, where she died from injuries.
Chavez was taken to the hospital and treated for injuries that were described as “non-life-threatening.”
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.
Montoya issued the following written statement, mentioning Lynch’s musical accomplishments and mourning that she died over the holidays:
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