COCONINO COUNTY, Ariz. — A 26-year-old Arizona man has been sentenced to 12 years in federal prison after he admitted to causing a fatal crash on the Navajo Nation last year.
Derwin Tsosie Jr. of Tuba City recently pleaded guilty to second-degree murder after he drove drunk at speeds of 135 mph on Nov. 14, 2022, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office of Arizona.
Court records show Tsosie's license had been suspended after he was caught driving with "12 opened bottles of Jack Daniels in his car" in May 2022.
A few months later, he was back behind the wheel and smashed into another vehicle.
"He was driving so fast that he sent the victim’s car – which was driving at freeway speeds – tumbling forward down the road when he hit it from behind," prosecutors wrote in a court filing.
The defendant had a blood alcohol content of 0.323 -- four times above the legal limit -- and his car contained "17 small bottles of Jack Daniels (and) 2 larger bottles of Jack Daniels," prosecutors said.
The driver of the other vehicle died at the scene and a passenger sustained multiple injuries.
"He was a loving father and grandfather who will miss all his family’s future milestones and the joy that would go with them," prosecutors wrote about the deceased victim.
According to the defendant's counsel, Tsosie fell into a deep depression and started drinking after the deaths of his parents a few years ago.
"He has accepted responsibility and expressed genuine remorse," Tsosie's attorney wrote in a court filing.
Tsosie will be placed on supervised release for five years following his 12-year prison sentence.