Athens felon sentenced to 60 years for evading with vehicle

TYLER — A Smith County jury has sentenced 43-year-old Philip Shane Young of Athens to 60 years in prison for evading with a vehicle. According to a news release from the Smith County DA’s Office, a Texas Parks and Wildlife officer saw Young at the State Park Exxon on FM 14 at approximately 10:00 p.m. on March 6, 2021. According to authorities, Young appeared to be intoxicated, and when officers approached his vehicle, he sped off. Young then led officers on a high-speed chase from 95 to 100 mph down FM 16 for approximately 20 miles. During the course of the evading, officials say Young ran a red light at the intersection of FM 16 and Highway 69 with other cars present and subsequently caused a vehicle in front of him to run off the road.

The evading finally ended when Young wrecked his vehicle. The jury found that Young used his vehicle as a deadly weapon during the course of the chase. At the sentencing phase, the jury heard that Young had nine prior convictions, including a prior felony evading and two prior felony DWIs. At the time of the offense, Young was on bond for a pending felony DWI and unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon charge in Henderson County.