Cottonwood Shores man receives five years for pedestrian death
File photo
Department of Public Safety assisted Marble Falls police with a reconstruction of an incident where a truck collided and killed a pedestrian in a crosswalk which killed a Comal County corrections officer. A jury sentenced a Cottonwood Shores April 3 to five years in prison for intoxication manslaughter.
By Connie Swinney
Staff Writer
An intoxication manslaughter suspect in a Fourth of July crosswalk death could be out of prison in a year, following a trial sentencing due to his demonstration of remorse and efforts to complete an alcohol abuse program, according to the man's defense attorney.
The three-day sentencing trial of 35-year-old Thomas Pfeifer ended April 3 in 33rd/424th Judicial District Court in Burnet.
The Cottonwood Shores man pleaded guilty to intoxication manslaughter in the death of Cynthia Lee Young, 60, of Spring Branch. Young, who was a Comal County corrections officer, died when she was struck by a pickup truck driven by Pfeifer in a crosswalk while leaving the Marble Falls Fourth of July Community Fireworks Celebration in 2017.
“He went to mental health counseling and alcohol abuse counseling while the case was pending,” Defense Attorney Austin Shell said. “We had the counselors testify about the severe remorse he showed about Mrs. Young and her family.”
At the time of the collision, Pfeifer left the scene but turned himself into authorities several hours later. Initially, he faced a charge of leaving the scene of an accident (causing death). He pleaded guilty to intoxication manslaughter, with a potential penalty of two to 20 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
The jury assessed the five-year prison sentence with no fine.
“He had over 40 people supporting him in court,” Shell added. “Mr. Pfeifer will be eligible for parole in the summer of next year.”
33rd/424th Assistant District Attorney Erin Toolan said the victim's family approved the sentence because the jury saw Pfeifer demonstrated “accountability,” leading up to trial and in his guilty plea.
“It was less about the number of years, but he was taking responsibility, and the jury was recognizing the impact on her family,” she said. “They were happy that the jury recognized the loss for them.
“They were glad they recognized it impacted the life of two families and two young sons.”
Young was married with two sons, one of which was at the scene of the collision.
“The family wanted to thank the jury for their service,” Toolan said. “It was obviously a difficult decision to make. They were happy to have their day in court.”
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