A 20-year-old Phoenix man has been sentenced to seven years in prison for a New Year's Day crash in 2022 that left a mother of three dead. Jaxon Collins, who was 18 at the time of the accident, pled guilty to manslaughter and aggravated assault in a crash that claimed the life of 27-year-old Crystal Garcia. The sentencing took place on February 9 in Maricopa County Superior Court, as reported by 12News.
Having celebrated the previous evening, Garcia was with her husband and kids when Collins' vehicle struck theirs near 38th Street and Greenway Road shortly after midnight. Investigators said Collins had been driving while impaired, hitting speeds of 89 mph in a 45-mph zone. Although DUI charges were not part of his guilty plea, court filings revealed that Collins had allegedly been driving almost doubly over the legal alcohol limit, with his vehicle's data showing a speed reduction from 89 mph to 81 mph just before the horrific collision, according to another 12News article.
Despite the tragic loss, Crystal Garcia's mother, Lorena Garcia, has shown remarkable empathy towards the young defendant. "I’m not trying to lock this person up for the rest of [his life]," she told 12News. "I’m a mom and he has to have parents and they’re hurting too." Lorena emphasized her focus on supporting her grandchildren and being a good grandmother, rather than dwelling on the years Collins will serve.
Upon completing his prison term, Collins will face five years of supervised probation. He is mandated to refrain from alcohol, participate in a Mothers Against Drunk Driving victim impact panel, and will have his driver's license revoked. Collin's attorney, Adam Feldman, insisting on a misfortune stated, "These incidents are awful… however they are unintended," implying no malice was at play in Collins' actions, as stated by 12News.
Francisco Murrieta, the widower now raising the three children alone, conveyed a mixed sense of relief upon Collins' capture, saying, "It’s a sense of relief because it’s a step in the right direction," he explained to 12News. Murrieta's focus, like that of the victim's mother, remains on caring for the young children left without a mother. To assist with funeral expenses, the family has established a GoFundMe account.
