Tyler man gets 20 years in prison for fatal crash, assault of peace officer

TYLER – A Tyler man was sentenced to 20 years in prison Monday after pleading guilty to accident involving death and intoxication manslaughter in an April 2022 crash that killed a local teenager. According to our news partner KETK, Justin Pierce, 30, also pleaded guilty to assault of a peace officer for an April 2021 incident in which he was also arrested for public intoxication. According to a DPS report, Pierce was driving down Highway 64 near Tyler when he struck 18-year-old Marissa July-McCuin of Tyler, who was trying to cross the road. July-McCuin was taken to a local hospital where she later died from her injuries. According to the DPS report, Pierce had left the scene of the crash but was later caught. Pierce was booked into the Smith County Jail the day of the crash and remained jailed during the duration of his case.