Man accused of killing 4 people in Galveston golf cart crash pleads guilty to driving drunk in 2022

Tuesday, March 25, 2025 9:32PM

Galveston DWI driver pleads guilty to killing 4 in golf cart crash

Miguel Espinoza pleaded guilty to intoxication manslaughter after killing four people in a Galveston golf cart crash in 2022.

GALVESTON, Texas (KTRK) -- The driver who slammed into a golf cart in Galveston, killing four members of a family in 2022, has pleaded guilty to all the charges against him.

Miguel Espinoza made the announcement Tuesday as his intoxication manslaughter trial was starting.

He pleaded guilty to four counts of intoxicated manslaughter and one count of intoxicated assault.

On Aug. 6, 2022, officials say Espinoza was driving drunk when he failed to stop at an intersection and slammed his SUV into a golf cart carrying a grandfather, his wife, their niece, and three grandkids.

Felipe Bentancur, 49; Destiny Uvalle, 25; Brailyn Cantu, 14; and Kaisyn Bentancur, 4, were killed in the crash. A fifth person was seriously hurt.

The first of three recent Galveston DWI crashes involved the deaths of four family members on a golf cart, including two children. A month since then, a lawsuit has been filed against two establishments alleged to have served the suspect driver the day of the crash.

According to court documents, Espinoza failed to yield right of way at the stop sign and was driving at an unsafe speed. Witnesses told authorities Espinoza was walking away from the crash scene with a woman who later confirmed Espinoza was the one driving the car.

Once authorities reached Espinoza, they said he had bloodshot eyes, and his breath smelled like alcohol.

More than a month after the deadly incident, a bartender accused of improperly serving Espinoza, was arrested and booked into the Galveston County Jail.

In 2023, Espinoza's bond was revoked after Rosenberg police pulled him over and learned he may been operating vehicles without an Interlock device, which is a breathalyzer that prevents or allows drivers from starting a car based on their blood-alcohol level.