Last Tuesday, a Dallas man was handed a 15-year prison sentence after admitting to intoxication manslaughter in a Dec. 16, 2023, crash that killed a pedestrian and, according to prosecutors, led to a nearly 40-mile drive with the victim inside his car. The defendant, 31-year-old Nestor Luján Flores, will serve concurrent terms after Judge Collins issued a deadly-weapon finding that will delay when he can first seek parole. The pedestrian, struck while in a crosswalk, was later identified as 45-year-old Terry Lydell Ivory, whose family shared memories of him in local coverage.
Sentence and plea
Exactly two years after the fatal crash, Flores pleaded guilty to intoxication manslaughter and collision involving death and was sentenced in Criminal District Court No. 4, according to the Dallas County District Attorney's Office. Judge Collins imposed 15-year sentences on both counts, ordered them to run at the same time, and entered a deadly-weapon finding, which means Flores must serve at least half of his sentence before he can be considered for parole. “This case is a stark reminder of the devastation caused by impaired driving,” Dallas County District Attorney John Creuzot said in the office's release.
How the crash unfolded
Investigators say Flores hit Ivory while the victim was in a crosswalk on the westbound I-30 service road near Cockrell Hill Road on the evening of Dec. 16, 2023. The impact was so violent that portions of Ivory's remains were later found at the scene. In spite of heavy damage to the front of his vehicle and windshield, Flores continued driving west and eventually pulled into a Jack in the Box parking lot in the 8700 block of the I-30 service road in White Settlement. A customer there called the police after noticing a driver slumped over behind the wheel. The White Settlement Police Department detailed that timeline in a news release and said it turned over evidence to the Dallas County Sheriff's Office as investigators worked to pinpoint the exact crash site, according to the White Settlement Police Department.
Victim and family reaction
Authorities later identified the victim as 45-year-old Terry Lydell Ivory. An obituary and family tributes described him as a devoted brother, a musician, and a dependable employee. Relatives and friends told local outlets that Ivory had faced periods of homelessness but was widely known for his kindness. Those remembrances and funeral details were reported by The Dallas Morning News.
Legal context and record
A blood sample taken early the morning after the crash showed Flores had a blood-alcohol concentration of 0.093, and court records reflected a prior DWI conviction from 2020, prosecutors said. Flores faced a possible 20-year sentence on the intoxication manslaughter charge but chose to accept the plea agreement. The 15-year term was set to match the severity of the offense, according to the Dallas County District Attorney's Office.
Officials publicly thanked the multiple agencies involved in the investigation and stressed the human toll of impaired driving as the case came to a close. Authorities also urged anyone with information about similar incidents to contact investigators, according to the White Settlement Police Department.
