A San Antonio driver tied to a North Side street-racing crash that killed three children will serve seven years in prison after taking a plea deal that even the judge openly disliked.
The case goes back to June 24, 2020, when a collision near McCullough Avenue and Pinewood Lane left three young people dead after a vehicle lost control and slammed into a tree. Prosecutors said the deadly wreck grew out of street-racing behavior.
On Wednesday, in Bexar County’s 226th Criminal District Court, 29-year-old Aris Jamal Ransom-Powell accepted a plea agreement and received a seven-year sentence, according to KSAT. Jurors had already been seated for trial when prosecutors told the court they could not locate a key witness: Ransom-Powell’s sister.
Law and penalties
According to Justia, Texas Transportation Code §545.420 generally treats racing on a highway as a Class B misdemeanor, but the offense can jump to more serious charges when someone is injured or killed.
Separate 2023 legislative changes expanded what officers can do when they encounter suspected street racing. As summarized in the Texas Legislature’s analysis of HB 2899, Texas Legislature explained how police may remove vehicles used in street racing and how those seized vehicles can ultimately be impounded or forfeited.
Judge's reaction
From the bench, Judge Benjamin Robertson did not hide his discomfort with the deal. He called the plea "difficult to accept" given the scale of the loss, telling the courtroom, "we've got three dead kids over $30 of marijuana," a remark reported by KSAT. Even so, he agreed that the missing witness made the risk of a not-guilty verdict too high for prosecutors to roll the dice at trial.
What it means
Under Texas law, a second-degree felony conviction can carry up to 20 years in prison, according to Justia, which means Ransom-Powell’s seven-year sentence falls well below the maximum time he might have faced at trial.
The outcome highlights how long-running crash cases can hinge on whether key witnesses are still available years later, and it lands against the backdrop of Texas lawmakers giving police more tools to crack down on dangerous street racing before it turns deadly.
