Man sentenced in crash that killed Laura Lynch
A Texas man pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 15 years in prison for the head-on crash that killed laura lynch. The crash occurred on Dec. 22, 2023, when prosecutors say the defendant attempted to pass multiple vehicles and collided with Lynch’s pickup.
Laura Lynch's death and crash
Laura Lynch, 65, of Dell City, died on Dec. 22, 2023, after her eastbound truck was struck in a head-on collision. Prosecutors say Lynch was trapped in her vehicle and died at the scene.
Sentence and plea details
Domenick Chavez, 33, pleaded guilty to manslaughter in a plea agreement and will spend 15 years in prison. The 34th Judicial District Attorney’s Office issued a statement saying Chavez pleaded guilty and faces the 15-year sentence. El Paso County District Attorney James Montoya, who also oversees Hudspeth County, issued a news release about the case.
Speed, passing and collision
Prosecutors said Chavez was driving a truck westbound when he tried to pass four vehicles on a two-lane highway and on a two-way undivided highway and collided head-on with Lynch’s truck, which was eastbound. Authorities said Chavez was traveling between 106 and 114 mph; one report converted that range to roughly 170 kph to 183 kph.
License history and injuries
Chavez was not determined to be driving drunk that night and alcohol was not listed as a factor, but prosecutors said he was driving with a suspended license after two prior DWI convictions. Prosecutors also said the license had been revoked for failure to comply with DWI-related surcharges and penalties stemming from convictions in 2014 and 2017. Chavez was able to escape from his truck with non-life-threatening injuries as his vehicle erupted in flames.
Band legacy and reaction
Lynch was a founding member of the group originally known as the Dixie Chicks. She and Robin Lynn Macy and sisters Martie Maguire and Emily Strayer (née Erwin) founded the band in 1989. Lynch and Macy shared lead vocal duties until Macy’s departure in 1993, at which point Lynch became the sole frontwoman as the trio rose in popularity as a regional favorite in Texas. Lynch was replaced by Natalie Maines in 2005.
The Dixie Chicks recorded three independent albums with Lynch on lead vocals before she left the group: "Thank Heavens for Dale Evans", "Little Ol’ Cowgirl" and "Shouldn’t a Told You That". The band’s direction in its pre-Maines incarnation focused on bluegrass, retro-country and a cowgirl image.
After Lynch’s death, the band’s current members issued a joint statement: “We are shocked and saddened to learn of the passing of Laura Lynch, a founding member of the Chicks. We hold a special place in our hearts for the time we spent playing music, laughing and traveling together. Laura was a bright light… her infectious energy and humor gave a spark to the early days of our band. Laura had a gift for design, a love of all things Texas and was instrumental in the early success of the band. Her undeniable talents helped propel us beyond busking on street corners to stages all across Texas and the mid-West. ”
Separately, the band’s social media post after Lynch’s death described her with the words “infectious energy and humor” and said she was “instrumental” in the band’s early success. The group later achieved commercial breakthrough with the album "Wide Open Spaces" in 1998 and has won 13 Grammys; the band changed its name to The Chicks in 2020.
Lynch reconnected the same year she was let go from the band with her high school sweetheart and future husband, rancher Mac Tull, who had reportedly recently won $26. 8 million in a lottery; they married in 1997. In a 1995 interview with the society columnist of the Dallas Morning News, Lynch made it clear that her exit from the band had not been her idea.
Local Texas media carried news of the sentencing and the earlier court filings. El Paso County District Attorney James Montoya commented on the case: “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. ”
Chavez’s guilty plea, the manslaughter charge and the 15-year sentence close the criminal case brought over the Dec. 22, 2023, collision that killed laura lynch.
