HARRIS COUNTY, Texas — The woman convicted in a deadly hit-and-run crash that killed a Harris County Sheriff's Office sergeant was sentenced on Thursday.
Lavillia Spry was given 43 years in prison for killing HCSO Sgt. Ramon Gutierrez, 45, in a crash nearly three years ago.
Spry was drunk when she hit Gutierrez, who was working an off-duty job escorting an oversized load on the Beltway 8 feeder road near Tidwell in January 2022. Gutierrez was helping direct traffic and wasn't on his motorcycle when Spry, who was 40 at the time, hit him with her car and then left the scene.
At the time of the crash, Spry didn't have a job because she had just had a baby about a month prior.
As the verdict was read, Spry broke down in the courtroom and apologized.
On Friday, family members are expected to read their victim impact statements.
Guiterrez was in law enforcement for nearly 20 years and served with HCSO for about 13 years. Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez described Gutierrez as being an “excellent” sergeant who gave "exemplary service" and was an excellent deputy prior to that.