Jagger Smith's lawyer says 17-year-old willing to cooperate after crash that killed 2 Atascocita teens

Nick Natario Image
Saturday, July 28, 2018
17-year-old charged in crash visited vigil site for teen, lawyer says
17-year-old charged in crash visited vigil site for teen, lawyer says

ATASOCITA, Texas (KTRK) -- The lawyer representing a teen accused of driving drunk and killing two teens, said his client is willing to cooperate with authorities about where he got the alcohol.

Jaggar Smith, 17, appeared in court Thursday.

In court, Smith said very little, but to his attorney, Chip Lewis, words weren't necessary.

"Through his actions, more than his words, I see real remorse," Lewis said.

Smith faces two intoxication manslaughter charges after he told police he drank a whole bottle of MD 20/20 and then crashed Wednesday night.

The accident killed passengers Salma Gomez and Chloe Robison, both 16.

While Smith told prosecutors he was drunk, Lewis said Smith hasn't told him where he got the alcohol.

"When the district attorney asks us to help, then they already know my client is at the ready and very willing to participate in however they ask," Lewis said.

The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission said it's looking into businesses to see if anyone sold the teen alcohol.

Prosecutors said Smith had red, droopy eyes, slurred speech and the smell of alcohol on his breath.

They believe he was speeding when he slammed into a tree, which is now a site where a memorial continues to grow. It's a place we learned Smith visited.

"He insisted upon going to the memorial site and taking some flowers," Lewis said.

Smith isn't due back in court until September.

Lewis says that gap in time should be focused on the girls killed in the crash, and not his client.

"We will let all the time go by for everybody who needs to heal as much as they can, and then, we'll deal with the circumstances surrounding, as you said, the $64,000 question who gave him the alcohol," Lewis said.

Focusing on the victims is just what an Atascocita business did Friday night.

At the Bahama Buck's off Atascocita Road, many of the employees were friends and classmates of the two victims.

"Both of them were so funny," Teuuila Robinson said. "They're always together, and very rare to find them separate, especially on campus."

The Bahama Buck's raised money and provided sympathy cards for customers to leave the families messages.

"We just hope that (the parents) know that both of their girls, we just loved so much, because so far, it's only been two days of raising money for them, and we raised way more than we ever imagined," Robinson said.

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