The driver responsible for the 2023 death of former Dixie Chicks lead singer Laura Lynch has been sentenced to 15 years in prison.
According to KFOX 14, 33-year-old Domenick Chavez accepted a plea deal from prosecutors, admitting to driving recklessly and causing the head-on crash that killed the 65-year-old musician just days before Christmas in 2023.
Details of the Crash and Sentencing
El Paso District Attorney James Montoya confirmed that Chavez pleaded guilty to manslaughter in connection with the Dec. 22, 2023, crash. As part of the plea agreement, he was sentenced to 15 years in prison.
“The death of Ms. Lynch caused profound sadness for her family, the Dell City community, and all those who appreciated her music,” Montoya said in a statement.
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“It is a loss made more acute by the fact that it happened just days before Christmas,” he continued. “Our office will continue to hold accountable those defendants who choose to drive in an extremely dangerous manner.”
The crash occurred in Hudspeth County, about 70 miles east of El Paso. Authorities said Chavez, who was driving on a suspended license stemming from two prior DUI convictions, attempted to pass four vehicles on an undivided two-lane highway.
His vehicle reportedly reached speeds between 106 and 114 miles per hour before colliding head-on with Lynch’s vehicle.
Alcohol was not involved. After the impact, Lynch’s 2016 Ford F-150 caught fire, and she later succumbed to her injuries.
A Founding Member of the Dixie Chicks
Lynch co-founded the Dixie Chicks in 1989 alongside Robin Lynn Macy and sisters Martie Maguire and Emily Strayer.
In the band’s early years, she shared lead vocals with Macy while playing upright bass. After Macy departed in 1993, Lynch stepped into the lead singer role in addition to continuing on bass.
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She recorded three albums with the group between 1990 and 1993, helping lay the foundation for what would later become one of country music’s most successful acts.
Following a battle with anemia, Lynch 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 to The Chicks.
Though her time with the group came before its meteoric rise, Lynch remains an important part of the band’s origin story — and of country music history.
Country music is a little more polite in public than some genres, but that doesn’t mean the gloves don’t come off in private. We tend to assume all of our favorite country artists are good friends with their bandmates, but when they go their separate ways, sometimes the truth turns out to be very different.
Gallery Credit: Sterling Whitaker