Driver high on cocaine and drunk sentenced in crash that killed retired Texas nurse
Daniel Rascon-Sainz, 22, of Mexico (Source: Parker County Jail) (FOX Local)
PARKER COUNTY, Texas - A man living illegally in the U.S. was sentenced Tuesday to up to 40 years in prison after pleading guilty to three felony charges stemming from a high-speed, drunk-driving crash that killed a retired nurse and severely injured two of her family members in Parker County.
Prison sentence for fatal crash
What we know:
Daniel Rascon-Sainz, 22, a Mexican citizen, pleaded guilty in district court to intoxication manslaughter and two counts of intoxication assault in connection with the Dec. 8, 2024, head-on collision on FM 730 between Weatherford and Azle.
District Judge Graham Quisenberry handed down maximum sentences for each charge: 20 years for intoxication manslaughter and 10 years for each of the two intoxication assault counts. The judge ordered the assault sentences to run consecutively following the manslaughter term.
The crash killed 71-year-old Cora Estep of Azle and critically injured her sister, Wanda King, and niece, Ryan Jones.
Cora Estep, 71
What they're saying:
Prosecutors said Rascon-Sainz was driving 90 mph into oncoming traffic while under the influence of both alcohol and drugs. A blood test taken after his arrest revealed a blood alcohol concentration of 0.218, nearly triple Texas’ legal limit of 0.08, along with evidence of recent cocaine use.
"When troopers first encountered the defendant after the wreck, they noticed that he had a little white powder under his nose," Parker County District Attorney Jeff Swain said in a statement. "Not only was Mr. Rascon-Sainz drunk at the time of the collision, he was high on cocaine... To add insult to injury, he should not have been in our country in the first place."
Due to an affirmative deadly weapon finding entered in the case, Rascon-Sainz must serve at least half of his total sentence before becoming eligible for parole consideration, Swain noted. Following the completion of his prison term, he will be deported to Mexico.
Dig deeper:
Estep had worked for decades as a nurse before her retirement. During a victim impact statement following the sentencing, her brother, Richard Smith, spoke directly to Rascon-Sainz about the devastation caused by the crash.
"As I walked into her room, I saw my beautiful sister lying lifeless," Smith said. "I saw her injuries and a part of me died there. Then it hit me, I would never be able to speak with Cora ever again... As you serve your sentence in jail, I want you to think about the life you have taken and the suffering and pain you caused everyone."
Prosecutors praised state troopers and emergency medical crews, noting that medical personnel at Texas Health Hospital in Fort Worth saved Jones' life after she lost roughly half her body's blood volume from her injuries.
The Source: Information in this article is from the Parker County District Attorney.