SAN ANTONIO – A man accused of driving erratically and fatally striking a motorcyclist on the Northeast Side in late 2020 was sentenced by a judge to 18 years in prison on Wednesday after pleading guilty in the case.
The crash happened Nov. 9, 2020, in the 13200 block of O’Connor Road.
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The Bexar County District Attorney’s Office said Christopher Norton was charged for failure to stop and render aid causing death following the crash that claimed the life of a 48-year-old man. Norton pleaded guilty in July to the charge and an unrelated second-degree charge of assault on a family member.
Judge Michael Mery ordered Norton’s 18-year prison sentence for each charge to run concurrently in exchange for the guilty plea.
An indictment alleged that Norton, “intentionally and knowingly drove a vehicle that became involved in an accident that resulted in the death of Phillip Warren Snow,” and that after the accident occurred, he “intentionally and knowingly” left the scene without exchanging insurance information or helping Snow.
When officers arrived to the scene the day of the crash, they found Snow had been injured. Norton had fled the scene.
Snow was taken to the Brooke Army Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead just an hour later.
Police said Snow was riding a 2005 Kawasaki motorcycle northbound on O’Connor Road as Norton’s black SUV was “driving erratically” and heading southbound, according to a previous KSAT report.
The SUV entered a turn-only lane to turn left onto Larkdale Drive when it crashed into Snow, police said.
Norton was taken into custody just two days later, on Nov. 11, 2020, Bexar County Court records show.
“Those who love Mr. Snow had to wait nearly two years to hear this defendant accept responsibility for his actions,” said Bexar County District Attorney Joe Gonzales. “Their pain was still fresh during today’s sentencing. With this chapter behind them, I hope everyone who loved Mr. Snow can focus on celebrating him without thinking about this defendant again,”
Assistant District Attorney Brandon Ramsey of the Felony Trial Division prosecuted this case in the 144th District Court. The San Antonio Police Department investigated the crime.
