A Canyon Lake man who admitted to drinking “too much” before a crash on Highway 281 has been sentenced to prison after pleading guilty.
CANYON LAKE, Texas — A Canyon Lake man has been sentenced to prison after pleading guilty in a drunken driving crash that injured another driver and involved a child in the vehicle, prosecutors said.
According to the Comal County Criminal District Attorney’s Office, Marshall Neal Jr., 61, pleaded guilty to aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and driving while intoxicated with two or more previous convictions.
Neal was sentenced to 13 years in prison for the assault charge and 10 years for the DWI charge, with the sentences running at the same time.
The judge also made a deadly weapon finding, meaning Neal must serve at least half of his sentence before becoming eligible for parole.
The charges stem from a crash on April 19, 2024, in the 4400 block of U.S. Highway 281, where officers with the Bulverde Police Department responded to a major collision.
Investigators say Neal’s vehicle crossed the southbound lanes of the highway and the median, crashing head-on into another vehicle before overturning.
Officers arriving at the scene saw Neal crawling out of the driver’s side of the overturned vehicle.
When officers asked if he had been drinking, Neal admitted he had and said he drank four 24-ounce Twisted Tea alcoholic beverages, telling officers he had consumed “too much.”
Police found multiple cans of the drink inside the vehicle.
According to investigators, Neal showed several signs of intoxication, including bloodshot, glassy eyes and trouble standing. A test later revealed his blood alcohol concentration was 0.155, nearly twice the legal limit.
The victim told officers she tried to swerve to avoid Neal’s vehicle but the two cars collided head-on.
She was traveling with her minor child at the time and was taken to the hospital with severe neck pain, according to prosecutors.
Witnesses at the scene supported the victim’s account of the crash.
The investigation was conducted by the Bulverde Police Department.