SAN ANTONIO – A San Antonio man has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for killing a woman in a crash where alcohol was involved.
Dakota Lovelace, 25, pleaded guilty to intoxication manslaughter earlier this year for his role in a Dec. 2, 2018, crash that killed 33-year-old Jennifer White.
White was stopped at a light at the intersection of Perrin Beitel and Naco Perrin when a car driven by Lovelace slammed into her from behind, which caused White’s car to ricochet into a delivery truck making a turn at the intersection.
Lovelace had a blood-alcohol level of .237, nearly three times the legal limit, and investigators found he was traveling 70 miles per hour when he struck White’s car without applying the brakes. White died at the scene.
On Thursday, Lovelace appeared in-person for sentencing before Judge Laura Parker. Maria White, the mother of Jennifer White, described her daughter as a “beautiful, bubbly person” and said “a hole has been left in her life and the lives of so many others” with her daughter’s death. Jennifer White was Maria White’s only child.
In addition to sentencing Lovelace to 12 years in prison, the judge also ordered an affirmative finding of a deadly weapon, meaning Lovelace must serve at least half of his sentence before being considered for parole.
“There is no excuse for drinking and driving,” District Attorney Joe Gonzales said. “Jennifer White was an innocent victim in this tragedy. I know that the resolution of this criminal case will not bring Jennifer back, but I hope we can honor her memory by the simple act of not getting behind the wheel after drinking.”
White’s mother said she will continue to fight for her daughter and all victims of intoxication-related crimes.