Driver gets 68 years for fatal crash
A Tarrant County man sentenced for intoxication manslaughter in an August 2024 accident that killed three children and two adults.
By Elena Menon ·
Eduardo Gonzalez will spend 68 years in prison for the August 2024 crash on I-35W that killed five people.
A Tarrant County jury convicted the 21-year-old on five counts of intoxication manslaughter with a vehicle. The court imposed a 17-year sentence for each count. Because the sentences for the three child victims run consecutively and the sentences for the two adult victims run concurrently, Gonzalez faces a total of 68 years behind bars. The judge also ordered him to pay a $50,000 fine.
The crash occurred on August 19, 2024. Gonzalez, who was 19 at the time, was driving a Chevrolet Camaro at 130 mph. Police records indicate he had consumed beer and THC. He struck the rear of a Chevrolet vehicle driven by Willie Gunn, 48, and Amber Hopewell, 38. Hopewell’s three children, Elijah Carroll, 9, Chrystale Cobbin, 4, and Amiyah Fisher, 2, were also in the car. The Chevrolet burst into flames, and all five occupants died at the scene. Severe burns delayed the identification of the victims for several months.
Tarrant County District Attorney Phil Sorrells commented on the verdict. “No sentence can restore those lives, but this verdict holds him accountable for every one of them,” Sorrells said. “The families of Willie, Amber, Elijah, Chrystale and Amiyah will live with this loss forever,” he added. “I am grateful to our prosecutors, investigators, and Fort Worth police for giving these victims a voice and fighting for the justice they deserved.”
Gonzalez suffered serious but not life-threatening injuries in the collision. An arrest affidavit states that he initially denied causing the crash and was uncooperative with police regarding damage to his vehicle. Officers found several beer bottles and an open beer can inside the Camaro. At the hospital, officers noted that Gonzalez had red, watery eyes, slurred speech, and smelled of alcohol.
Gonzalez began serving his sentence in the Tarrant County jail system following the sentencing hearing. The next step in the legal process involves the standard appeal period for the convicted party.
Source: KDFW
