BUNA, Texas — A Buna man will spend the next 45 years behind bars after pleading guilty to his part in a 2021 wreck that claimed the life of an 80-year-old.
(Editor's note: The above video is from a 2021 newscast when Stephen Dudley Morgan was arrested.)
The trial for Stephen Dudley Morgan was set to begin on Tuesday, October 12, 2022, but Morgan changed his mind and plead guilty to manslaughter and driving while intoxicated.
Morgan received a 45-years sentence for manslaughter and a 10-year sentence for driving while intoxicated. The sentences will run concurrently, meaning Morgan will serve a total of serve 45 years.
The case was held in the 346th District Court with Judge Steve Thomas presiding.
Related: Buna man arrested on intoxication manslaughter charge after fatal crash, death of 80-year-old
The deadly car accident happened on June 2, 2021.
Officials believe Morgan hit a guardrail on Highway 96 just south of Silsbee. The crash claimed the life of 80-year-old Jerry Harris Pommier, who was a passenger in Morgan's vehicle.
Pommier was pronounced dead at a hospital. Morgan was arrested on June 15, 2021 in Tyler County on a manslaughter warrant.
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