A Bernalillo County jury convicted 33-year-old Austin Jones of great bodily injury by vehicle this past week over a 2024 crash that left 19-year-old Naisy Chaves paralyzed, capping a case that turned on whether Jones was chasing down street racers or simply had the right-of-way when his car slammed into hers. Chaves was driving an orange Mitsubishi east on Gibson and trying to turn left onto Girard when Jones' westbound silver Kia struck her vehicle. Jones now awaits a sentencing hearing that, as of the verdict, had not yet been scheduled.
The crash happened Sept. 21, 2024, at the intersection of Gibson and Girard boulevards in Albuquerque, according to Albuquerque Journal. Prosecutors told jurors that Jones had been angered by two drivers street racing on Gibson and tried to catch up with them before colliding with Chaves' car. Witnesses told police that three vehicles were speeding west on Gibson moments before the crash, and the Albuquerque Police Department said at the time that the collision was believed to have been caused by drag racing. Security video reportedly showed the first two cars passing through the Gibson and Girard intersection before Jones' Kia came through and struck the Mitsubishi.
Defense Says Jones Had the Green Light
Jones' attorney, Matthias Swonger, offered a different account of why his client was on Gibson at that speed. Swonger said Jones pursued the street racers because he wanted to report their license plate numbers to authorities, not to join the race himself. Swonger acknowledged Jones was speeding but argued that Jones had a green light and the legal right-of-way when Chaves turned in front of his vehicle.
The Albuquerque Police Department previously reported that the Kia struck the Mitsubishi's side, causing significant damage to its passenger side and front. Chaves sustained major injuries and was listed in critical condition after the crash, per the department's statement at the time. A GoFundMe page set up on her behalf said she broke several bones and suffered injuries to her spine and skull.
Prosecutor Calls Verdict Accountability for Devastating Harm
Second Judicial District Attorney Sam Bregman framed the case as a matter of consequences for reckless driving on Albuquerque streets. Bregman said Chaves was simply driving when another person's reckless actions changed her life forever, adding that holding people accountable matters when dangerous choices cause devastating harm.
Swonger, for his part, said he disagrees with the jury's verdict and plans to appeal. Jones faces up to three years in prison, according to the Journal's reporting, though a separate account from Yahoo News described the basic term as three years with a provision that could raise it to four years if aggravating circumstances apply. KOB reported that sentencing remains pending, with no hearing date yet set.
A Harsher Outcome in a Comparable Case
Pursuit-related crashes have drawn steep penalties elsewhere. Yahoo News noted that in a separate Australian case, Christopher Michael Hughes pleaded guilty to manslaughter and received a 12-year prison sentence after chasing a stolen vehicle and fatally striking a motorcyclist, with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reporting the sentence was handed down in November 2023. That case involved a fatality and a guilty plea, circumstances distinct from the Albuquerque conviction, but it underscores how courts have weighed the dangers of chasing other drivers on public roads.
For now, the Albuquerque case remains in limbo between conviction and sentencing. Jones' attorney has signaled he will fight the verdict on appeal, while prosecutors have made clear they view the conviction as accountability for a crash that upended a 19-year-old's life.
