Man sentenced to 15 years in Texas crash that killed Dixie Chicks founding member
A 33-year-old man pleaded guilty in a Texas court on Tuesday to driving recklessly and causing the 2023 crash that killed a founding member of the band formerly known as The Dixie Chicks, according to KFOX-14.
Domenick Chavez will spend 15 years in prison for manslaughter in the death of Laura Lynch, 65, who was a resident of Fort Worth and Dell City, according to a statement from the 34th Judicial District Attorney’s Office,
Just before 6 p.m. on Dec. 22, 2023, Chavez was speeding westbound in a 2022 Dodge Ram when he tried to pass four vehicles at the same time on a two-way, undivided highway in Hudspeth County, in Far West Texas, investigators wrote in a crash report. While his truck was in the oncoming lane of traffic, he collided head-on with Lynch’s 2016 Ford F-150, according to the report.
Chavez’s truck was “consumed by fire,” but he was able to exit the vehicle, according to the crash report. Lynch’s pickup truck came to rest partially on top of a guardrail and sustained “severe front distributed damage.”
Lynch died at the scene.
Reconstruction experts determined that Chavez was traveling between 106 and 114 mph at the time of the crash, and was also driving on a revoked license, according to the statement from District Attorney James Montoya, whose office represents Hudspeth, Culberson and El Paso counties. Chavez’s license was revoked due to a failure to comply with DWI-related surcharges and penalties in two past cases, but alcohol was not a factor in the crash that killed Lynch, authorities said.
Lynch, along with Martie Maguire, Emily Strayer and Robin Lynn Macy, founded the band in Dallas in 1989. She played the double bass and was the band’s lead singer for a time. The band changed its name in 2020, dropping the “Dixie” because of the term’s connection to Confederate states.
“We hold a special place in our hearts for the time we spent playing music, laughing and traveling together,” The Chicks posted on social media. “Laura was a bright light … her infectious energy and humor gave a spark to the early days of our band.”
This story was originally published February 24, 2026 at 3:39 PM.
