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Driver Sentenced to 46 Months for Fatal Drunk Driving Crash
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – A Navajo woman was sentenced to 46 months in federal prison for her role in a fatal drunk driving crash that killed a 4-year-old child on the Navajo Indian Reservation.
Patricia Benally, 37, was driving under the influence of alcohol when her vehicle crashed near mile marker 72 on U.S. Highway 491 south of Shiprock, N.M. on an unknown date. Her blood alcohol content was .237 shortly after the collision.
The victim, a 4-year-old Navajo child, was one of five passengers in Benally’s vehicle at the time of the crash. Four of the passengers were young children.
Benally was arrested on February 5, 2014, and charged with involuntary manslaughter. She pleaded guilty to the charge on April 23, 2014, admitting that she was driving under the influence at a high rate of speed when she fell asleep and lost control of the vehicle, causing it to roll over and crash.
The case was investigated by the Albuquerque and Farmington offices of the FBI and the Shiprock office of the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul H. Spiers prosecuted the case.
Benny’s sentencing marks the latest in a string of drunk driving cases on the Navajo Nation. The reservation has seen a number of high-profile cases involving drunk driving, including the 2018 death of a 15-year-old boy who was killed in a drunk driving crash.
The case serves as a reminder of the devastating consequences of drunk driving and the importance of holding perpetrators accountable for their actions.
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Key Facts
- State: New Mexico
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release ↗
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