Fort Worth Man Sentenced to 68 Years for 130 MPH Drunk Driving Crash That Killed Five, Including Three Children
FORT WORTH, Texas — A 21-year-old man has been sentenced to 68 years in prison for a high-speed crash on Interstate 35 in Fort Worth that killed five people, including three young children, after prosecutors said he drove approximately 130 mph while under the influence of alcohol and THC.
A Tarrant County jury found Eduardo Gonzalez, 21, guilty of five counts of intoxication manslaughter with a vehicle in connection with the August 19, 2024, crash.
The victims were identified as Willie Gunn, 48; Amber Hopewell, 38; and three of Hopewell's children, Elijah Carroll, 9, Chrystale Cobbin, 4, and Amiyah Fisher, 2.
Gonzalez received a 17-year prison sentence on each count. The court ordered the sentences involving the three children to run consecutively, while the sentences for the two adult victims will run concurrently, resulting in a total prison term of 68 years.
The jury also imposed $50,000 in fines.
Camaro Traveling 130 MPH Slammed Into Vehicle on I-35
The deadly crash occurred shortly after midnight on August 19, 2024, as Gonzalez drove a Chevrolet Camaro northbound on Interstate 35 near the East Seminary Drive exit in Fort Worth.
According to prosecutors, Gonzalez had been drinking beer and consuming THC before getting behind the wheel.
He was traveling approximately 130 mph when his Camaro slammed into the rear of another vehicle, causing it to burst into flames.
All five occupants of the vehicle were killed.
"He was doing 130 down I-35," Tarrant County Assistant District Attorney Lloyd Whelchel told jurors. "He was high on THC and he had been drinking. He never looked up. He never saw the car."
"He killed that family," Whelchel said. "We are asking for justice."
Investigators Found Alcohol Inside Camaro
Investigators recovered several alcoholic beverages from Gonzalez's Camaro following the collision.
Officers who responded to the crash also reported observing signs of intoxication. According to prosecutors, Gonzalez had red, watery eyes, slurred speech and an odor of alcohol on his breath.
Assistant District Attorney Neal Maranto told jurors that Gonzalez made the decision to continue driving despite knowing he was intoxicated.
"The Defendant's actions killed them," Maranto said. "He knew he was intoxicated before this crash, but he kept going."
Whelchel and Maranto prosecuted the case on behalf of the Tarrant County Criminal District Attorney's Office.
Judge Orders Consecutive Sentences for Child Victims
Following the jury's guilty verdicts, Gonzalez was sentenced to 17 years in prison for each of the five deaths.
The court ordered consecutive sentences for the three children, with the remaining sentences structured to produce a total punishment of 68 years.
Tarrant County Criminal District Attorney Phil Sorrells said the verdict recognized the loss of each victim.
"No sentence can restore those lives, but this verdict holds him accountable for every one of them," Sorrells said.
He also acknowledged the lasting impact on the victims' relatives.
"The families of Willie, Amber, Elijah, Chrystale and Amiyah will live with this loss forever," Sorrells said. "I am grateful to our prosecutors, investigators, and Fort Worth police for giving these victims a voice and fighting for the justice they deserved."
The District Attorney's Office also recognized DA Investigator Lester Couch and the Fort Worth Police Department for their work on the case.
