BEXAR COUNTY, Texas – A Bexar County woman was sentenced to more than a decade in prison following her intoxication manslaughter arrest two years ago.
Judge Christine Del Prado, who presides over Bexar County’s 227th Criminal District Court, sentenced Giovanna Blangiardo to 12 years in prison Monday. Blangiardo previously took a plea deal.
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In addition to intoxication manslaughter, Blangiardo, 38, originally faced the following charges:
- Manslaughter
- Aggravated assault with a deadly weapon
- Aggravated assault that caused serious bodily injury
According to court records, the manslaughter and two aggravated assault charges were rejected.
Background
Bexar County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a three-vehicle crash at approximately 4:30 a.m. on Feb. 8, 2024, in the 14700 block of Potranco Road, which is located near State Highway 211 and Arcadia Path in far west Bexar County.
BCSO said Blangiardo was driving a Chevrolet SUV westbound when she began veering into the eastbound lanes.
Blangiardo’s SUV collided with a Toyota SUV, which was driven by Whitney Brooke Weddel. A Nissan SUV that was also traveling eastbound swerved to avoid the Toyota but eventually crashed in between Blangiardo and Weddel.
Upon arrival, deputies said two people — Blangiardo and Weddel — were extricated from the crash and taken to a local hospital. Authorities said Weddel was pronounced dead while Blangiardo survived the crash. The driver of the Nissan SUV was not injured.
A report from BCSO states probable cause was obtained for a blood warrant for Blangiardo while she was at the hospital. She was booked by proxy, the report states.
An East Central Independent School District spokesperson told KSAT that Weddel, 39, was an East Central High School graduate and “exceptional teacher” who left the district before the crash.
More coverage of this story on KSAT: