Crime & Safety

Man Gets 8 Years In Car Racing Death Near Round Rock

Hernan Martinez​, 24, pleaded guilty to manslaughter, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in death of 68-year-old woman.

ROUND ROCK, TX — A Hutto man has been sentenced to eight years in prison related to the death of a woman in a crash outside Round Rock two years ago, according to a published report.

The Austin American-Statesman reported Hernan Martinez, 24, pleaded guilty Wednesday to manslaughter and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon for the wreck that killed 68-year-old Joan Chaney on Dec. 14, 2016. Martinez secured the plea deal in exchange for giving law enforcement officials the name of the driver trying to race him before the crash happened, his lawyer said.

Martinez was driving north on FM 1325 when he crashed into a Mercury Grand Marquis turning left onto the street, according to an arrest affidavit referenced by the Statesman. Chaney was a passenger in the Mercury, which was driven by her husband Robert Chaney, according to the report.

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