Last defendant in 2020 fatal racing crash in South Lubbock pleads guilty
A 31-year-old man avoided prison time by pleading guilty on Thursday to his role in a February 2020 fatal crash in South Lubbock that stemmed from an illegal street race.
Anthony Martin pleaded guilty to a count of racing on a highway causing death, a second-degree felony that carries a punishment of two to 20 years in prison.
As part of his plea, he was placed on community supervision for five years. However, he faces up to 10 years in prison if his probation is revoked.
Court records indicate he will serve his probation in Harris County.
He is the last of three defendants charged in the Feb. 24, 2020, crash that killed 69-year-old Howard Wright in the 7500 block of Slide Road.
A jury in June sentenced Xavier Montalvo, 23, to four years in prison after finding him guilty of manslaughter after a trial in the 140th District Court.
Investigators told jurors the evidence showed Montalvo was driving his Dodge Charger at speeds reaching 94 mph — more than twice the posted speed limit — about five seconds before crashing into Wright’s Nissan Murano, which flipped.
Prosecutors said the evidence showed Montalvo was racing two other Chevrolet Camaros.
Witnesses who were on the road that day told jurors that before the crash, the three vehicles were at a red light in the southbound lanes of Slide Road at the 69th Street intersection. The vehicles sped away when the light turned green, with Montalvo leading the two vehicles as he wove in and out of traffic before colliding into Wright's vehicle.
Investigators discovered Montalvo and the two other drivers, Martin and 27-year-old Luis Salinas, were members of a car club called Muscle Mayhem.
Salinas pleaded guilty in February to racing on a highway causing death in exchange for a deferred adjudication probation with 240 hours of community service.
However, if his probation is revoked, he faces two to 20 years in prison.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Final defendant pleads guilty in 2020 South Lubbock fatal racing crash
