A Texas woman convicted in a drunk-driving crash that killed a college student has been sentenced to seven years in prison and ordered to spend 15 days in jail each year while on probation.
Lynlee Pollis, 30, received the sentence Wednesday after a jury found her guilty of intoxication manslaughter and intoxication assault in connection with the September 2023 crash. The collision killed 19-year-old Southern Methodist University student Honor Wallace and seriously injured her friend, Catherine “CeCe” Solberg, The Dallas Morning News reported.
State District Judge Jennifer Balido also sentenced Pollis to 10 years of probation after her release from prison. The terms require her to return to jail for 15 days every year.
According to the newspaper, some of those mandatory jail stays fall on the victims’ birthdays, Pollis’ birthday and the anniversary of the fatal crash.
Lynlee Pollis, 30, was sentenced to seven years in prison after being convicted of intoxication manslaughter and intoxication assault in a 2023 Dallas crash that killed a college student. (Facebook)
The verdict followed about three hours of jury deliberations after a trial that lasted two and a half weeks.
During sentencing, Solberg’s father, Bobby Solberg, delivered an emotional victim impact statement in which he criticized Pollis for forcing the families to endure the lengthy court proceedings.
“You were so drunk and you wouldn’t admit it. You made us sit through this [trial] for three weeks,” Solberg said. “We’ve seen no personal accountability from you.”
A Texas woman convicted in a deadly drunken-driving crash was ordered to serve additional jail time each year during her probation following her prison sentence. (Dallas County Jail/Southern Methodist University)
Wallace’s father, David Wallace, also addressed Pollis during his victim impact statement.
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“You took the most precious gift from us through your selfishness,” he said. “Own it. Own what you did.”
On Sept. 24, 2023, Wallace was driving her Volkswagen Jetta through a green light in Dallas when Pollis’ Lexus SUV crashed into the car.
Wallace was pronounced dead at a hospital. Solberg, who was riding in the Jetta, suffered a shoulder injury and a concussion and was later diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury, according to The Dallas Morning News.
Lynlee Pollis was convicted in connection with a September 2023 crash that killed 19-year-old Honor Wallace and seriously injured another Southern Methodist University student. (Facebook)
Prosecution experts testified that Pollis was traveling about 67 mph in a 35-mph zone and entered the intersection after the traffic light had been red for at least five seconds, the newspaper reported.
Pollis’ husky, Tequila, was also inside the SUV but was not injured.
Testing showed Pollis had a blood alcohol concentration of 0.294%, nearly four times Texas’ legal limit of 0.08%, according to the newspaper.
The initial arrest affidavit stated that officers observed Pollis at the hospital with glassy eyes, slurred speech and an odor of alcohol.
Her attorneys had requested probation instead of prison, citing her lack of previous felony convictions.
In his closing argument, defense attorney Scott Palmer described Pollis as a “good person who made a terrible decision.”
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