Driver who killed Dixie Chicks founder Laura Lynch gets 15 years in prison
· Toronto Sun
The man who killed former The Chicks singer Laura Lynch in a Texas crash is headed to prison.
Domenick Chavez, 33, has been sentenced to 15 years behind bars for the 2023 wreck that took the 65-year-old musician’s life, according to a release from the El Paso District Attorney’s Office shared with People .
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Chavez accepted a plea deal, admitting he was driving recklessly when he caused the head-on collision, reports Entertainment Weekly .
El Paso District Attorney James Montoya didn’t mince words.
“The death of Ms. Lynch caused profound sadness for her family, the Dell City community, and all those who appreciated her music,” he said in a statement to Entertainment Weekly . “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 added.
The day of the fiery crash
The crash happened on Dec. 22, 2023, in Hudspeth County, about 70 miles east of El Paso, per EW .
Authorities say Chavez tried to pass four vehicles on an undivided two-lane highway when he slammed head-on into Lynch’s pickup truck.
It was around 5:45 p.m. on a cloudy but dry day, reports USA Today . The impact was explosive. Lynch’s truck burst into flames, and she later died from her injuries.
Chavez was also hurt and taken to hospital.
While Chavez was not under the influence of alcohol at the time, per NBC , his driver’s license had been suspended because of two previous DUI convictions. And speed was a major factor.
Accident reconstruction investigators determined he was travelling between 106 and 114 miles per hour when the crash occurred, the district attorney’s office said, according to USA Today .
Her early days with the Chicks
Lynch was a founding member and the original bassist of the band formerly known as the Dixie Chicks. She launched the group in 1989 alongside Robin Lynn Macy and sisters Martie Erwin Maguire and Emily Erwin Strayer. For a time, she shared lead vocals with Macy. When Macy left in 1993, Lynch stepped up as lead singer while continuing to play upright bass, per EW .
She recorded three albums with the group between 1990 and 1993. After battling anemia, Lynch left the band and later moved to Mineral Wells, Tex., to raise her daughter, per EW . She was replaced by Natalie Maines.
In 2020, the band officially changed its name to The Chicks.
A graduate of Coronado High School in El Paso, Tex., Lynch remained a proud supporter of her hometown of Dell City, a small community in Hudspeth County, the El Paso Times reported.
After her death, band members Emily Robison, Martie Maguire and Natalie Maines issued a heartfelt statement, per EW .
“We are shocked and saddened to learn of the passing of Laura Lynch, a founding member of The Chicks,” they wrote. “Laura was a bright light … her infectious energy and humor gave a spark to the early days of our band.”
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