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A Dallas man was sentenced to 13 years in prison Friday for his involvement in a street-racing crash that killed a 9-year-old girl in Pleasant Grove.
A Dallas County jury sentenced Ricky Jackson, 66, a day after finding him guilty of racing causing seriously bodily injury or death, KXAS-TV (NBC5) reported.
The crash took place the evening of May 24, 2019, in the 10700 block of Lake June Road. Investigators determined several cars driving eastbound — a Dodge Challenger, a Dodge Charger and a Ford Mustang — were drag racing.
A Chevrolet Impala driving west on Lake June tried to turn left onto Rain Forest Drive when the Challenger struck its rear passenger side. The Impala spun and Olivia Mendez was thrown from the back seat.
Mendez died at a hospital. She was a student at Henry B. Gonzalez Elementary School and had finished the fifth grade earlier that day, according to NBC5.
Three other people in the Impala were injured, including Olivia’s younger sister, who suffered irreversible brain damage, NBC5 reported.
Jackson, the driver of the Challenger, was taken into custody shortly after. Hector Camarena, 32, and Diego Gaytan, 31, fled but were booked into Dallas County jail the following day.
Court records show Gaytan pleaded guilty in January 2020 and was sentenced to five years in prison. Camarena pleaded guilty the following month and also received a five-year sentence.
Mendez’s mother, Marisol Gomez, addressed Jackson in court Friday, saying she hopes he takes accountability for his actions, NBC5 reported.
“I want you to think about Olivia every single day for the rest of your life,” she said.
Jackson responded, telling her, “I do.”