Man admits to fatal September 2016 central Lubbock wreck, gets probation

A 56-year-old man was placed on probation for 10 years after he admitted to causing a fatal drunken driving wreck in Central Lubbock in September 2016.

James Pritchard Jr., who had been out on bond since the middle of 2017, pleaded guilty on Thursday to a second-degree felony count of manslaughter, which carries a punishment of 2-20 years in prison.

As part of his plea deal with the Lubbock County District Attorney's Office, he will also serve 120 days in jail, which he will start in September.

He also faces up to 10 years in prison if he violates the conditions of his probation.

Pritchard admitted to recklessly operating a Ford F-150 pickup truck on Sept. 18, 2016, while driving eastbound on 50th Street when he rear-ended 50-year-old Sammy Castaneda, who was riding a motorcycle stopped at a red light at the Indiana Avenue intersection.

The impact sent both vehicles into the middle of the intersection, where they crashed into two other vehicles traveling north on Indiana Avenue, according to a Lubbock police news release.

Lubbock patrol officers responded about 6:30 p.m. to the wreck and saw Castaneda’s motorcycle pinned in between Pritchard’s truck and another vehicle. Pritchard, who was still in the driver’s seat of his truck, appeared to be confused, according to a police report.

Castaneda was taken by ambulance to University Medical Center, where he died. Police also took Pritchard to UMC, according to the report.

The officer said Pritchard, whose speech was slow and slurred, reportedly admitted to drinking alcohol — three Bud Light Lime-A-Ritas — before driving and refused to participate in a field sobriety test. But officers obtained a warrant to draw his blood at the hospital, according to the report. Officers also found two open 24-ounce Lime-A-Ritas in his vehicle, according to court documents.

Police arrested Pritchard and booked him into the Lubbock County Detention Center. His bond was set at $50,000.

He was released June 16, 2017, on a personal recognizance bond, according to court records. His bond conditions include complying with any treatment recommendations stemming from a substance abuse and mental health evaluation. He is also required to have an interlock system in any vehicle he operates and wear an alcohol monitoring device.

Prosecutor Gerg Jerman said the decision to offer the plea to Pritchard was not taken lightly.

"This is a crime that's very scary. It's very terrifying," he said. "The victims are completely random and innocent. It's not like some crimes that you see, sometimes people make some decisions that put them in a bad position. Victims of these types of crimes are just going about their daily life. And it's important for us to really take them seriously and try to get appropriate punishments that deter to the best of our ability, try to deter this type of behavior."

However, there were mitigating factors that were considered in the plea offered to Pritchard, he said. One of them was Pritchard's efforts to maintain his sobriety since he was released from jail.

"It's my understanding that he was very active in Alcoholics Anonymous and rehabilitation for alcohol issues," he said.

Jerman also mentioned there were other mitigating circumstances that are not typically seen in cases like this. However, he did not disclose what those circumstances were.

He said if the case had gone to trial, those circumstances would have been presented to a judge or jury and had the potential to result in probation.

He said the plea deal offered to Pritchard did allow the DA's office to control the terms of his community supervision, which included requiring him to install a video ignition interlock system on his vehicle.

"If the goal is to protect society, especially from monitoring this individual's alcohol use, then I think through probation is a good way to do that," he said. "And he is held accountable for what he did, he's got a felony on his record and he's got to do additional jail time."

Pritchard's attorney, Rod Hobson, did not immediately return a request for comment.

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Man sentenced in fatal 2016 Central Lubbock wreck