Driver Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Crash That Killed Laura Lynch

The driver responsible for the 2023 crash that killed Laura Lynch, a founding member of The Chicks, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison.

According to local reports, including KFOX-TV, 33-year-old Domenick Chavez accepted a plea deal from prosecutors. He pleaded guilty to manslaughter in connection with the Dec. 22, 2023, crash that killed Lynch, 65.

James Montoya, the El Paso District Attorney, said Chavez admitted to driving recklessly when he caused the head-on collision in Hudspeth County, about 70 miles east of El Paso.

Chavez was driving on a suspended license at the time of the crash. His license had been suspended due to two previous DUI convictions. Authorities said alcohol was not involved in the 2023 accident. However, investigators found that Chavez was speeding between 106 and 114 miles per hour while attempting to pass four vehicles on an undivided two-way highway.

His vehicle collided head-on with Lynch’s 2016 Ford F-150 pickup truck. After the crash, Lynch’s truck caught fire. She later died from her injuries.

In a statement following the sentencing, Montoya said Lynch’s death caused “profound sadness” for her family, the Dell City community, and fans of her music. He noted that the crash happened just days before Christmas, making the loss even more painful. Montoya added that his office will continue to hold accountable drivers who choose to drive in an extremely dangerous manner.

Lynch helped found the Dixie Chicks in 1989 alongside Robin Lynn Macy and sisters Martie Erwin Maguire and Emily Erwin Strayer. She served as the group’s original bassist and later became lead singer after Macy left the band in 1993.

Lynch recorded three albums with the group between 1990 and 1993. After battling anemia, she left the band and moved to Mineral Wells, Texas, to raise her daughter. She was later replaced by Natalie Maines.

In 2020, the band changed its name from the Dixie Chicks to The Chicks.

After Lynch’s death, band members Emily Robison, Martie Maguire and Natalie Maines released a joint statement expressing shock and sadness. They said Lynch’s “infectious energy and humor” played an important role in the early success of the group.