Giovanna Blangiardo has been sentenced to 12 years in prison after taking a plea deal in the intoxication manslaughter case stemming from a wrong-way crash that killed former East Central ISD teacher Whitney Weddel. The sentence was handed down Monday in Bexar County’s 227th Criminal District Court. The early-morning wreck happened on Feb. 8, 2024, along Potranco Road and left Weddel dead while Blangiardo survived with injuries. For nearly two years, family members and community supporters have closely watched the case unfold through bond hearings and courtroom motions.
Sentence and plea
Judge Christine Del Prado imposed the 12-year prison term after Blangiardo agreed to a plea arrangement, according to KSAT. Court records reviewed by the outlet show that prosecutors had initially brought additional counts, including a non-intoxication manslaughter charge and two aggravated assault charges. Those extra counts were dropped as part of the deal, leaving a single conviction for intoxication manslaughter. The agreement capped months of pretrial maneuvering in the 227th Criminal District Court.
Crash on Potranco Road
The three-vehicle collision unfolded around 4:30 a.m. on Feb. 8, 2024, in the 14700 block of Potranco Road near State Highway 211 and Arcadia Path, according to the San Antonio Express-News. Deputies reported that Blangiardo’s Chevrolet SUV drifted into the eastbound lanes and slammed head-on into a Toyota SUV driven by Weddel. A third vehicle then crashed while attempting to avoid the wreck, the Express-News noted. First responders had to extricate both drivers from their vehicles before rushing them to nearby hospitals, and investigators obtained a blood warrant for Blangiardo while she was receiving treatment.
Victim remembered
Whitney Brooke Weddel, 39, graduated from East Central High School and later returned to the district as a teacher, where the school remembered her as an “exceptional teacher,” KSAT reported. The case drew intense local attention when defense requests to ease house-arrest conditions touched off a wave of criticism, a development sparked public outcry. Friends and former students have said the sentence offers at least a measure of closure after a long and emotional legal process.
What the law says
Intoxication manslaughter is defined in Texas Penal Code §49.08 as a second-degree felony, typically punishable by two to 20 years in prison, with lawmakers in recent years adding circumstances that can increase penalties and affect eligibility for probation under the statute. The full language and possible enhancements are set out in Texas Penal Code §49.08. Blangiardo’s 12-year sentence falls squarely within the standard sentencing range for an intoxication manslaughter conviction.
