71-year-old to spend 12 years in TDCJ for deadly DWI crash

LIVINGSTON — William Edmond Gibson, 71, of Onalaska, pleaded guilty before District Judge Elizabeth Coker on June 25 in exchanged for a negotiated sentence of 12 years in prison on the first charge in a two count indictment handed down June 3, 2011, according to Assistant District Attorney Beverly Armstrong. The first count was intoxication manslaughter, a second degree felony for the death of Michael Shane Morris who was a passenger in Gibson’s vehicle when he failed to negotiate a sweeing left-hand curve on FM 356 north of Onalaska on Nov. 11, 2010. An investigation by DPS Trooper Gene Flowers showed the driver basically tried to “straighten out” that curve, entered a side skid. struck a chain link fence and a stone sign. Morris was a passenger in the back seat of Gibson’s vehicle and was pronounced dead at the scene. Another passenger in the front seat, Adam Crowton, was taken to Memorial Medical Center-Livingston by ambulance. His injuries resulted in the second count of the indictment, intoxicated assault. Gibson was sentenced to eight years in prison on that count. Since the two counts were part of a single indictment they will be served concurrently, Armstrong said. Gibson was injured as well and also went to the Livingston hospital by ambulance where a mandatory blood draw showed his blood alcohol concentration to be .20. Under Texas law, a driver with a BAC of 0.08 is considered intoxicated, a fact Gibson was well aware of since Armstrong had noted five prior convictions for driving while intoxicated during her preparations to take the case to trial. Armstrong said his criminal history showed he had never been sentenced to more than two years in prison for his prior convictions. This latest Polk County case was not presented to the grand jury until June 3, 2011, because of the medical treatment Gibson needed for his injuries from the crash. He was arrested June 24, 2011, in connection with the two-count indictment and was later granted a conditional bond. One of the conditions of that bond was that he not consume alcohol at any time. He rearrested at 9 p.m. Feb. 14, 2012, according to Polk County Jail records, after the judge determined he had violated the conditions of his bond and he has remained in the Polk County jail since that time.