Fall from car killed waitress
Posted on 01/07/2003 8:04:42 PM PST by MeekOneGOP
Fall from car killed waitress
Driver hit gas, brakes repeatedly to throw her off, documents indicate
01/08/2003
IRVING - A waitress who was struck and killed by the car of a patron who walked out on a restaurant tab was thrown from the roof and trunk only after the driver braked and accelerated repeatedly for 200 feet, according to documents made public Tuesday.
Jennifer Sanchez's fatal injury occurred when her head struck the pavement, not when the car driven by Sarah Foust, 18, backed into her, the documents show.
Ms. Sanchez, 20, was trying to write down the license plate number of the car about 1 a.m. Friday after the group of four left a Bennigan's restaurant without paying the $131.41 bill.
 Jennifer Sanchez |
Police reduced the charges Tuesday against two other people in the car. Charges against David Wilson Thornton, 19, of Duncanville and Kortnie Ann Henson, 19, of Midlothian were lowered from aggravated assault to theft of service.
Mr. Thornton posted a $500 bond and was released early Tuesday from the Irving jail. Ms. Foust, who is being held on $100,552 bail, and Ms. Henson, held on $500 bail, were transferred to the Dallas County jail Tuesday afternoon.
 Kortnie Henson |
"Every case has to stand on its own merits. Once you get the facts and circumstances, you look at the evidence again," said an Irving police spokesman, Officer David Tull. "Apparently, the merits on this case were enough to go with theft of service." He declined to elaborate.
Police have not been able to find the fourth member of the group, identified in documents as Michael John Prewitt, 26, of Dallas. He was dating Ms. Foust, a relative has said.
 David Thornton |
Records show that Ms. Foust and three friends went to Bennigan's on Airport Freeway with the intent of ordering food and drinks and walking out without paying.
Police and the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission say the bill included alcoholic beverages. TABC Sgt. John Busby declined Tuesday to release a copy of the bill or to say what portion of the bill was alcohol. Police, the commission and Bennigan's representatives also declined to say whether the alcohol was served to the three underage patrons in the group, or only to Mr. Prewitt.
Mr. Prewitt was convicted of domestic violence assault in 1997 in Duncanville and was sentenced to one year of probation. His probation was revoked in August 1999, and he was sentenced to 230 days in jail.
Police said they have made contact with someone who knows Mr. Prewitt and they do not think he will flee the area.
Mr. Prewitt was not in the car when it struck Ms. Sanchez, Officer Tull said Tuesday. Police had previously said only that he was not in the vehicle when officers pulled it over two miles from the restaurant.
A relative of Ms. Foust, who requested anonymity, said Monday that Ms. Foust, a single mother, would not intentionally hurt anyone.
Ms. Foust gave Irving police a small motel as her address. A motel clerk said he did not recognize her photograph.
Ms. Henson's family could not be reached for comment, and Mr. Thornton could not be reached after he was released from custody.
Ms. Sanchez's funeral is scheduled for 10 a.m. Wednesday at Arlington Funeral Home. A memorial fund has been created for her at Comerica Bank. Donations can be made at any branch.
Ms. Sanchez was a student at North Lake College in Irving and was working at Bennigan's to pay for school and a new apartment.
Her father, Daniel Sanchez, said Tuesday that although he wants to know what happened in the moments after his daughter was struck, he is not yet ready.
"This is a family matter," he said, preparing to leave for a memorial service. "I just need to be with my family."
Staff writer Tim Wyatt contributed to this report.
E-mail jemily@dallasnews.com
Whoa ! Pinging the usual suspects...
Please let me know if you want ON or OFF my ping list!. . .don't be shy. 
Would and did.
Excerpt:
IRVING – A waitress who was struck and killed by the car of a patron who walked out on a restaurant tab was thrown from the roof and trunk only after the driver braked and accelerated repeatedly for 200 feet, according to documents made public Tuesday.
Jennifer Sanchez's fatal injury occurred when her head struck the pavement, not when the car driven by Sarah Foust, 18, backed into her, the documents show.
Ms. Sanchez, 20, was trying to write down the license plate number of the car about 1 a.m. Friday after the group of four left a Bennigan's restaurant without paying the $131.41 bill.
| Jennifer Sanchez |
Police reduced the charges Tuesday against two other people in the car. Charges against David Wilson Thornton, 19, of Duncanville and Kortnie Ann Henson, 19, of Midlothian were lowered from aggravated assault to theft of service.
Please let me know if you want ON or OFF my Texas ping list!. . .don't be shy.
No, you don't HAVE to be a Texan to get on this list!
As for the driver, she deserves the death penalty, except that I don't think you can ratchet this up to capital murder in Texas.
I'm still curious what the deal is with the missing boyfriend, except that he looks to be facing misdemeanor charges at most.
They finally identify the 26 year old beau of the murder suspect. We'll see, but you may be right, he will not face hard time most likely...
Evidence? Oh..maybe they can tell by the tire tracks or her friends gave up what really happened.
Well looks like this fine young lady, pregnant at 13, an ex runaway and a victim of hanging with the wrong crowd. Will be a guest of our justice system for a long time.
I'm sure the other women are looking forward to seeing her.
Foust needs an angry mob, a rope, and a tall oak.
I'm willing to bet that Bennigan's docked Sanchez pay if any of her customers walked out without paying, as is common in the dinner house trade. Sanchez was caught in a finacial bind between Brennigan's and the perps, and it cost her her life.
This story tells us for the first time that he wasn't even in the car. So, he's an accessory to skipping on the bill, and possibly to giving the others drinks at the table, but that's it.
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