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Central Texas Woman Sentenced In DWI Death
A Central Texas woman who accidentally ran over a friend as she tried to pick him up after he got out of her car was sentenced to prison Monday in the same courtroom where juries sentenced two other intoxication manslaughter defendants to prison earlier this month.
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(July 28, 2008)—Christina Drake, 25, of Bellmead, was sentenced to eight years in prison Monday after pleading guilty to intoxication manslaughter in the death of a friend whom she ran over as she tried to pick up him after he got out of her car.
Because her vehicle was ruled a deadly weapon, she will have to serve at least half of the prison sentence before she is eligible for parole.
The charge stems from the July death of Robert Balderama, 31, of Waco, who was struck and killed as he walked along the shoulder of FM 2311 near Leroy in rural McLennan County.
Investigators say Balderama had gotten out of the car, in which he had been riding with his common law wife and Drake, after an argument.
Drake was indicted in September by the same McLennan County Grand Jury that indicted
Douglas Howard Church, 26, of West for intoxication manslaughter and intoxication assault in a head-on collision on Aug. 11, 2006 on Tours Road north of Waco that killed Debbie French and seriously injured her three young children.
French died when her truck was hit by another truck that had veered into her lane.
Church pleaded guilty to intoxication manslaughter and intoxication assault last Monday in the same courtroom where Drake was sentenced..
On Thursday, a jury sentenced him to 30 years in prison.
On July 9, a jury in the same court sentenced Lacey Leann Kutscherousky, 18, of West, to two years in prison and a $2,500 fine after she pleaded guilty to intoxication manslaughter in an March 2007 accident that killed her cousin, 19-year-old Ashton Marek, a Texas A&M freshman who had come home for a visit.
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Latest Comments
I wish people wouldn't have to make a huge mistake like that before they learn not to do things like that. Be responsible, if you want to drink... have a designated driver.. if you aren't responsible enough to do that then what the hell are you doing drinking at all? I hate to see families who are careful when they drive suffer by those who don't give a ****!
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The other West comments were more than likely totally removed as a result of the Ford place in West's lawyer objecting to negative but truthful comments about the Ford place, nothing to do with the comments about West drinking and driving...also the powers that be in West would not like two longtime West traditions & moneymakers--West Rodeo & Westfest--being trashed as they are coming up soon. More West drinking and driving.Money and lawyers talk loudly & usually get results they want. Unless you drink & drive & kill someone. Then you should do the time if you did the crime.
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oh wow... you people crack me up.... its over and done with sheeeesh.... give it a rest.... bashing or n ot bashing... leave it alone already
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