South Texas woman gets 7 years in 2021 Bell Co. fatal crash

Belton, Tx (FOX 44) - A 56-year-old woman is waiting to be transferred to state prison after entering a guilty plea to manslaughter charges connected to a 2021 traffic crash. Judy Sanders was charged in the death of Sonya Garcia, who died of injuries sustained in the crash on Highway 36 near Temple. Garcia and Sanders both went to the hospital after the December 11, 2021 crash, with Garcia later dying. Sanders was sentenced to seven years in TDCJ. An arrest affidavit stated that Sanders was the driver of a Dodge Journey which collided with a Dodge Dart, driven by Garcia. The affidavit stated that search warrants were sought and granted for black box information for both vehicles. The affidavit stated information from the black box data and site measurements indicated that the Dodge Journey was traveling in the wrong lane at well below the posted speed limit and that as the Dart approached, Garcia slowed down and took evasive action. The investigation indicated that the Journey moved back into the proper lane and accelerated before colliding with the Dart. The affidavit stated that when Sanders was interviewed, she told the investigating trooper she did not remember anything about the accident and did not know why she was driving on Highway 36 after leaving a friend`s house where she had been earlier.