East Texas

By MALENA OGLES
Staff Writer

GLADEWATER — A woman remains in critical condition, her friend dead and a man in jail following an alleged drunken driving crash Friday night.

Dan Mack Spivey, 71, of Winona was killed shortly after 10 p.m. when the Harley Davidson motorcycle he was driving was struck from behind by a 1997 Honda passenger car driven by 23-year-old Darvin Lavel Jackson of Tyler.

Spivey’s passenger, 63-year-old Cheryl Carper Dehring of Winona sustained head injuries from the crash and was transported to East Texas Medical Center in Tyler. She is currently listed in critical condition.

According to an initial crash report by Texas Department of Public trooper Sandy Taylor, the motorcycle was traveling southbound on U.S. Highway 271 one mile south of Gladewater when Jackson who “failed to maintain speed,” crashed into the back of Spivey’s motorcycle. After the initial impact the motorcycle and passenger car continued to travel southbound for 200 yards before coming to a stop.

Neither Spivey nor his passenger were wearing helmets.

Spivey was pronounced dead at the scene by Smith County Justice of the Peace precinct 4 Judge Mitch Shamburger.

Jackson was arrested and charged with intoxicated manslaughter, failure to maintain financial responsibility (driving without insurance), failure to appear and speeding. He remains in the Smith County Jail on $250,000 bond.

According to Smith County Judicial records Jackson has been arrested previously for public intoxication. Spivey had more than three previous convictions for driving while intoxicated dating back to 1985, according to Gregg County Judicial records.