Herrera sentenced to 10 years

ANDERSON- Daniel Herrera, age 33, of Navasota plead guilty to Intoxication Manslaughter in an incident on Sept. 17, 2017, that took the life of Bethany Shockey, age

26.

More than a dozen of Shockey’s family members stood in the courtroom as 506th District Judge Albert McCaig Jr. sentenced Herrera to 10 years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Assistant Grimes County district attorney Courtney Cain prosecuted the case.

“This case is another tragic reminder of the consequences of driving while intoxicated,” stated Cain. “Daniel Herrera made a choice to get behind the wheel after drinking and it cost Bethany Shockey her life. Hopefully the prison sentence and the apology from the defendant will give the Shockey family some measure of justice and closure.”

Shockey’s mother and aunt tearfully read victim impact statements to Herrera. Herrera told the Shockey family he took responsibility for the poor choice he made, apologized and asked for their forgiveness.

Sept. 17, 2017, at 3:40 a.m. law enforcement responded to an accident on Texas State Highway Business 6 South. Department of Public safety officer Russell Gallo investigated the scene and determined Herrera left Grassy Creek Trailer Park entering the southbound lane of SH6 traveling northbound in a Ford Expedition.

Herrera struck a Toyota Matrix driven by Shockey who was working as an uber driver at the time of the crash. The crash disabled Shockey’s vehicle and left her pinned inside the vehicle that was stalled in the southbound lane. While Shockey’s passenger exited the vehicle and called 911, a Chevrolet Equinox struck Shockey’s vehicle and ejected her. Shockey was pronounced deceased and Herrera was determined to be intoxicated at the time of the crash.

Intoxication Manslaughter is a second-degree felony with a penalty range of two to 20 years in prison. Herrera had no previous DWI arrests or felony convictions, which made him eligible for probation.