A Melissa man has been sentenced to 18 years in prison for an intoxication manslaughter crash that killed a woman near Dorchester last year.
Justin Ray Deleon, 31, was sentenced Aug. 27 to 18 years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice after being convicted of intoxication manslaughter with a vehicle, according to Grayson County Criminal District Attorney John Kermit Hill.
The charge stemmed from an Oct. 19, 2025, crash on State Highway 289 in Dorchester.
According to the district attorney’s office, Deleon was driving on the highway at approximately 2 a.m. after leaving Prosper, where he had been drinking. Authorities said Deleon veered into the oncoming lane and struck another vehicle.
The woman driving the other vehicle was pronounced dead at the scene. Deleon was injured in the crash.
An investigation determined Deleon’s blood alcohol concentration was 0.174, more than twice the legal limit of 0.08 for drivers in Texas, according to the district attorney’s office. Deleon also had a previous DWI conviction from 2015.
“This type of case is why I’m adamant about the message we’re sending regarding DWI,” Hill said. “A person who was obeying the law is dead and her family and friends are left dealing with the loss.”
Hill said Deleon’s sentence should also serve as a warning about the consequences of driving while intoxicated.
“When someone has a prior conviction for DWI, as did this defendant, and has failed to control his behavior, we can’t undo the damage he caused,” Hill said. “What we can do is remove him from the roads for a while and make others realize that they will be held accountable in a serious way.”
Intoxication manslaughter with a vehicle is a second-degree felony in Texas punishable by two to 20 years in prison.
Judge Jim Fallon of the 59th District Court presided over the case. Assistant District Attorney Matt Flanagan prosecuted the case, and Deleon was represented by defense attorney Michael Sissney.
