Mission man charged with intoxicated manslaughter in Palmview crash

Jeffrey Charles Stephens

Palmview police charged a 43-year-old Mission man with intoxicated manslaughter after he allegedly blew a stop sign and crashed, which ejected his backseat passenger.

Jeffrey Charles Stephens was charged with intoxication manslaughter and two counts of intoxication assault with a vehicle causing serious bodily injury.

He is accused of killing Victor Jesus Garcia, who was a passenger in Stephens’ vehicle along with his fiancé.

The crash happened at the intersection of La Homa Road and U.S. Business Highway 83 about 10 p.m. Sunday.

Police allege that Stephens, who was driving a silver 1998 Mercedes-Benz ML320, caused a three-vehicle crash that also involved a blue Ford Focus and a white Chrysler 300.

The people in both those vehicles told responding officers that they witnessed Stephen’s vehicle disregard the stop sign prior to the crash, according to a probable cause affidavit.

They also saw Garcia get ejected from the vehicle.

Stephens told police he was helping his neighbor pick up Garcia, who was her fiance.

He told officers he was driving back to his apartment, but gave conflicting statements about his direction of travel and showed signs of intoxication, according to the affidavit.

He voluntarily performed a standard field sobriety test and failed. He also provided a breath specimen, which came back at .164 — more than twice the legal limit, according to the affidavit.

Garcia died later at the hospital.

The affidavit said police booked Stephens after the crash.

However, he wasn’t transferred to the Hidalgo County Adult Detention Center until Tuesday.

Stephens remained jailed Thursday on a total of $50,000 in bonds.

Palmview police did not return a call Wednesday asking about the circumstances of the crash.