Justice moves fast in Lubbock—if you’re a Ford F-550. Nearly four years after a drunk-driving crash that killed 17-year-old Kashara Jackson and seriously injured her sister, the man responsible, 35-year-old Timothy Gonzalez of Post, finally got sentenced: 18 years behind bars. Gonzalez admitted to driving drunk, running a red light at 80 mph on Slide Road, and slamming into the sisters’ Jeep in August 2021.
After the crash, Gonzalez reportedly took off on foot—because apparently “fleeing the scene” pairs nicely with “intoxication manslaughter.” Bystanders chased him down and held him for police. Despite that, he’s been out on bond since March 2022—because nothing says accountability like letting a confessed killer cruise around free for three years.
Prosecutors didn’t make a plea deal, leaving his fate up to a judge, who handed down 18 years. The max was 20, so maybe the court thought the two-year discount was for “good intentions.”
Eighteen years for ending a life. Three years of freedom before serving it. Only in Lubbock does time served start before the sentence does.
