Belton woman jailed for intoxication manslaughter

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

Candice Rae Buckley, 26, of Belton was confined in the Burnet County Jail Tuesday, Dec. 6, on charges of intoxication assault and homicide with a vehicle, apparently in connection with the Sept. 3 four-car fatality accident on U.S. 281 north of Burnet.

The accident occurred not long after 9 a.m. that Saturday morning.

Roselee Rodriguez, 26, and her seven-year-old son, West Adair Jr., of San Antonio died when they were thrown from their 2003 Ford Expedition in a head-on collision with a northbound auto forced into her path by a 1998 Lexus, driven by by Buckley. The victim's three-year-old son, Isreal Rodriguez, survived the crash after being treated at Dell Children's Medical Center in Austin.

Burnet residents occupied the 2014 Dodge pickup with which Rodriguez collided. Those survivors were Lacy Pearson, 51; Rhonda Pearson, 53; Callie Pearson, 22; Angel Dodd, 14, and two-year-old Natalie Robertson. Buckley's Lexus went on to strike a 2009 Ford F150, driven by Todd Weaver, 46, of Georgetown, as he left a private road.

Justice of the Peace Precinct 2 Lisa Whitehead declared Rodriguez and her son dead on the scene.

Buckley was arrested in Bell County Dec. 3 and transferred to Burnet County, where she has been booked on one, third degree felony charge of Intoxication Assault with a Vehicle Causing Serious Bodily Injury, $15,000 bond, and two, second degree felony charges of Intoxication Manslaughter with a Vehicle, each with bond set at $100,000 bond. As of Thursday afternoon, she remained in jail.

Information for this story was drawn from press reports in the Hill Country and Austin, Sept. 4-9, in which Buckley's passenger was identified as driver of the Lexus. Sgt. Robbie Barrera, DPS public information officer, confirmed Wednesday that Buckley was the driver in the Sept. 3 accident, but could make no other information about the accident investigation. The investigating officer who obtained the arrest warrants from Judge Whitehead, DPS Trooper Marc Chambers, also could not comment on an ongoing case.