Marvin Albert Wauneka, 40, of Arizona, has been sentenced to 40 months in jail for causing a high-speed drunk driving crash on the Navajo Nation, which killed two passengers and critically injured another.
On November 14, 2024, Wauneka, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, drove at speeds ranging from 85 to 100 mph on Navajo Route 54 after drinking heavily.
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According to court records, Wauneka consumed alcohol before reporting to work and was too drunk to perform his duties. He resumed drinking in a Wal-Mart before driving with four others.
Wauneka lost control of the vehicle while intoxicated, with a blood alcohol level later determined to be be.298, leading to a single-vehicle rollover. Two passengers perished at the site, one was seriously injured but escaped the wreckage, and a fourth passenger was unharmed.
Wauneka, who has a prior DWI conviction, pled guilty to two charges of involuntary manslaughter and one count of assault causing serious bodily harm. He had already been convicted of this charge in Navajo Nation Tribal Court and sentenced to 167 days in jail.
Wauneka will be on supervised release for three years after serving his federal prison sentence.
