Popular Categories


Pickup truck driver in deadly crash indicted on 14 felonies


Kimberly Rubio

Assistant editor

Jack D. Young, 20, of Leakey and his attorney, Rogelio F. Muñoz of the Muñoz Law Firm in Uvalde, arrived at the Uvalde County Jail on Wednesday night where Young turned himself in after being indicted for the Concan-area crash that killed 13 people on March 29.

Young remains incarcerated. His surety bonds total $310,000 and carry pre-trial restrictions that include a curfew, ignition interlock and GPS monitor. The surety bonds are attached to the first three counts, while the next 11 carry personal recognizance bonds.

The Uvalde County Grand Jury met Monday and issued 14 two-count indictments. Charges include 13 counts of intoxicated manslaughter with a vehicle and 13 counts of manslaughter, as well as one count of intoxicated assault with a vehicle and one count of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

“They are two-count indictments, so the jury gets to decide between the two,” said Daniel Kindred, 38th Judicial District Attorney.

Manslaughter and intoxicated manslaughter with a vehicle are second degree felonies, punishable by between two and 20 years in prison. Aggravated assault with a deadly weapon is also a second degree felony.

Intoxicated assault with a vehicle is a third degree felony, which is punishable by between two and 10 years in prison.

“I have met with the families twice. Once after the accident and Friday before I presented to the jury,” Kindred said. “I let them know what indictments we were going to present and give them a snapshot of what’s to come.”

Kindred said he will now turn over the discovery to defense attorney Muñoz.

“It is a lot of stuff so it is going to take a while to go through,” Kindred said, adding that if a plea deal can be reached the case can be wrapped up relatively quickly. If it goes to trial, Kindred expects the process will take 12-18 months.

History

Young told investigators he was checking his phone when the 2007 Dodge Ram 3500 pickup truck he was driving collided head-on with a First Baptist Church of New Braunfels bus and killed 13 of the 14 passengers on board. 

The fatal crash occurred on U.S. Highway 83 North, 1.7 miles south of Farm-to-Market Road 1050 in Uvalde County. The church members were headed home from a three-day retreat at Alto Frio Baptist Encampment near Leakey.

Twelve bus passengers were pronounced dead at the scene while two survivors were airlifted to San Antonio hospitals. One of the survivors died later that day. Rose Mary Harris, 64, is the lone survivor.

Young was airlifted to University Hospital at San Antonio but was released soon after.

Since then, Young has told investigators he took prescription medication prior to the crash.

In the front seat of Young’s truck at the crash scene, state troopers found empty bottles of Clonazepam and Prazosin and the generic forms of Ambien and Lexapro. The bottle of Ambien contained 29 pills, while the bottle of Lexapro contained 30 pills. Marijuana was also found in the truck.

In addition to criminal charges, a wrongful death suit was filed against Young and his father, the owner of the truck.

The lawsuit was filed last month in the 38th Judicial District Court by Ross Allen, the son of Howard Bryan Allen, one of the 13 senior members killed in the fatal wreck.

According to the suit, Allen is seeking $1 million in damages in an effort to hold Jack Young and Joseph Young accountable.

Additionally, two firms have partnered in a suit against Ford Motor Company and Turtle Top, Inc.

According to the NTSB, preliminary evidence indicates that all the occupants of the bus were wearing seat belts. The rear passengers had lap only belts available for their use. Their investigation also determined that no mechanical defects were identified in the initial inspection but there has not been a successful download of event-related data from any vehicle-based recording or transmitting devices.

krubio@ulnnow.com, 830-278-3335

 

 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.