Driver in 2021 fatal North Lubbock crash sentenced to 15 years in prison

It was Jessica Helmers' dream to become a counselor and help people struggling with substance abuse.

Her aunt, Shelley Johnson, said her niece did everything she could to achieve that goal, including taking dual-credit classes in high school so she could graduate early.

When she got to Texas Tech, she chose to live in a sober-living dorm, not because she had substance abuse issues, but because she wanted to help those who did.

Helmer's mother, Kimberlie Dawson, described her daughter as smart, motivated, beautiful and caring.

"She cared about the underdog and she left a lasting impression on so many people," she said. "She was going to do great things in her life."

But the 19-year-old's dreams were dashed on Jan. 16 2021 by drunken driver in a Chevrolet Tahoe who sped through the intersection of Marsha Sharp Freeway and University Avenue, ran a red light and struck the Honda Fit she was driving, killing her. She was 19.

The driver, 33-year-old Gabriel Zerrata, was sentenced Thursday to 15 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to a count of manslaughter, a second-degree felony that carries a punishment of two to 20 years in prison.

He will have to serve half of his sentence before he is eligible for release on parole.

Zerrata entered his plea on Sept. 20, when he was set to appear for a hearing to revoke his probation on an unrelated 2010 aggravated assault with a deadly weapon charge.

Court records show Zerrata was two weeks away from completing his probation on that charge when he caused the wreck that killed Helmers.

A deadly crash

The crash was recorded by a Lubbock police officer's dashboard camera as the officer was stopped at a red light in the southbound lane of the intersection.

Footage from the dashcam showed Helmers heading eastbound as she crossed the Marsha Sharp Freeway access road before a northbound Chevrolet Tahoe crashes into her. A Lubbock police crash investigator believes Helmers had a green light and Zerrata ran the red light.

A toxicology report showed his blood-alcohol level was about three times higher than the legal threshold.

Zerrata was arrested Jan. 23, 2021 and was in jail until he was released on bond on Sept. 23, 2022.

Prosecutors moved to revoke his probation after he was charged with manslaughter in Helmer's death.

Aggravated assault also carries a punishment of two to 20 years in prison. In exchange for his plea, he was also sentenced to 15 years in that case, which will run concurrently with the sentence on the manslaughter charge.

After Zerrata entered his plea in September, District Judge John McClendon postponed his sentencing for 30 days to give him time to get his affairs in order and schedule a victim impact statement.

On Oct. 5, Hemler's mother, sister, aunt and friends appeared in the 137th District Court and shared the grief they've held on for two years.

Dawson told Zerrata that there were no words that could describe her loss.

"My children are the dearest thing in my life and you took one way," she said. "You took a part of my heart. Jessi is completely irreplaceable in our family."

She recalled realizing her daughter's impact at Tech when she traveled from Austin to Lubbock to collect her remains.

"At least 50 kids came up to me and they told me that they might not have been Jessica's best friend, but Jessica was their best friend," she said.

She told Zerrata that she hoped he uses his time in prison to change

"And come out a little more like her so you can make a difference in other people's lives," she said. "So you can come out and help other people."

Helmer's younger sister, Misty, described her sister as the person she relied on to help her get through difficult times.

"She always took care of me, and in a lot of ways she raised me," she said.

She told Zerrata that he robbed her of any chance to be there for her older sister.

"It cuts so unbelievably deep to see all of that hard work, all that kindness and love, be snuffed out in an instant by someone else's night of bad decisions," she said.

Prosecutor Greg Jerman described the case as tragic and sad.

"Nothing can make a situation like this right," he said.

He said hoped this case spotlights the consequences of drinking and driving and prevent another family from experiencing another tragedy.

"Here we have a young woman in college who .... through no fault of her own was tragically killed because of decisions by another individual to drink and drive," he said.

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: In court, Family confronts driver in 2021 fatal North Lubbock crash