A woman pleaded guilty to intoxication manslaughter and was sentenced to 10 years in prison on Thursday for the 2019 death of a 17-year-old boy, according to WFAA.
Tarrant County Judge Ruben Gonzalez handed down the sentence.
Early on the morning of Thanksgiving 2019, Noemi Martinez drove her black Chevrolet Tahoe up an exit ramp in North Richland Hills into oncoming traffic.
In the chaos, she hit two other SUVs and a sedan.
Benjamin Castañeda, 17, was the driver of the sedan. Medics transported him to a local hospital, where he died from his injuries.
Castañeda’s dog was also inside his vehicle and died at the scene.
The teen played the violin and sang in North Side High School’s mariachi band. Castañeda’s father spoke to reporters after the incident, recounting his disbelief.
“I never in a million years thought my son would die that way,” the elder Castañeda said. “To see that his life was ripped away or taken away, to know that he’s not going to be able to cross the aisle to graduate.”
Castañeda’s father spoke to the high school community and urged the group to think twice about getting behind the wheel while intoxicated.