Drunk Driver Sentenced to Twelve Years in Vehicular Homicide Case

DA Charme Allen announces that prosecutors in the DUI Unit obtained convictions against a drunk driver who killed one of his passengers and injured another.  Santiago Domingo, 25, was convicted of Vehicular Homicide, Child Abuse, and two counts Reckless Endangerment.  Judge Steve Sword sentenced Domingo to serve twelve years in the Tennessee Department of Correction.

Announcing the plea today, Assistant District Attorney Mitch Eisenberg explained to the court that on July 16, 2023, Knoxville Police Department officers responded to a single-vehicle wreck on Magnolia Avenue near Kirkwood Street.  On scene, officers learned that Domingo was driving down Magnolia Avenue around 9:00 AM when he sideswiped a vehicle.  Domingo left the scene of that wreck and lost control of his vehicle in a grass median near Kirkwood Street.  One of Domingo’s passengers was killed, and an eight-year-old child who was not in a child restraint was injured.  Analysis of Domingo’s blood by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation showed his blood alcohol content to be 0.104, above the legal limit.

“We prosecute impaired drivers because they pose such a risk not only to other motorists and pedestrians but also to the passengers in their cars,” said DA Allen.

Vehicular Homicide is a Class B felony that carries a punishment between eight and twelve years without the possibility of parole.  Assistant Victim Witness Coordinator Lauren Ward aided in the prosecution of this case.

If you have any questions, please contact Sean McDermott at 865-215-2515 or Sean.McDermott@knoxcounty.org. For more information about the District Attorney’s Office, visit our website at dag.knoxcountytn.gov and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.