Man indicted in drunken driving crash that injured 6 Waco man indicted in drunken driving crash that injured six

A 38-year-old Waco man who police say had a blood-alcohol content more than twice the legal limit in a December 2020 crash that sent six people to the hospital was indicted Thursday.

A McLennan County grand jury indicted Eric Lewis Leavels on six enhanced felony charges of intoxication assault.

Leavels, whose blood-alcohol content was 0.172%, was not injured in the three-car traffic crash, according to police reports. The legal limit for intoxication is 0.08%.

According to police, Leavels was driving on Gholson Road when he crashed into the back of a car waiting to turn left onto Montrose Street. The impact caused the car he struck to cross into the oncoming lane of traffic and slam into another car head-on.

Five people in the car Leavels struck from behind and one person in the oncoming vehicle all required medical treatment at a hospital.

The enhancement allegations bump the charges against Leavels from third-degree felonies to second-degree felonies, punishable by up to 20 years in prison on each count. The enhanced charges are based on Leavels' 2017 conviction for insurance fraud in which he and four others intentionally staged a traffic wreck and claimed damages.

He was placed on probation, but it later was revoked and he was sentenced to 10 years in prison, according to court records.