East Texan sentenced after fatal crash

ALTO – Samuel Schlemmer was given a 12-year prison sentence on Wednesday for driving while intoxicated last year, killing two women and injuring another. In relation to a collision on Highway 69, close to FM 1911 in Alto, Schlemmer, who was 21 at the time of the May 2025 collision, entered a guilty plea to two counts of intoxication manslaughter and one count of intoxication assault. According to court officials, he was sentenced to 10 years for intoxication assault and 12 years for each charge of intoxication manslaughter. The sentences will be executed concurrently.

Police say an SUV and truck collided in the crash. Three people were hurt in the SUV. Yvette McVey, a 55-year-old passenger, died while being treated at a hospital. Alesia Sidney, a 54-year-old passenger from Lufkin, also died at a hospital in Tyler. According to crash and arrest documents, Schlemmer, was traveling at a high rate of speed when he ran a stop sign and struck the SUV.