DES MOINES, Iowa — A Polk County judge sentenced a Des Moines man to 30 years in prison Thursday for causing a fatal Thanksgiving Day crash in 2023.
46-year-old Shawn Michael Bowersock pleaded guilty to vehicular homicide by operating while intoxicated and eluding, two felonies. In addition, Bowersock pleaded guilty to a probation violation and a traffic ticket.
Other charges against Bowersock were dismissed as part of a plea deal.
The sentencing comes more than six months after officers attempted to pull Bowersock over after noticing his vehicle had an expired registration. Bowersock proceeded to elude officers by driving 85 mph in a 25 mph zone.
During the chase, Bowersock vaulted off a creek embankment before landing at the bottom of a creek at Southeast Eight Street and East Emma Avenue.
A passenger in the car, 66-year-old Connie Rae Allison, was removed from the vehicle and later died of her injuries.
Bowersock admitted he was driving under the influence at the time of the crash. In court, he apologized to Allison's family, saying he "caused this terrible loss of life."
"If I could trade places with her, I would," Bowersock said. "The only thing I hope for is forgiveness some day."
Allison's daughter-in-law, Alicia George, gave a victim impact statement in court, describing the impact Allison's death had on her and the rest of their family.
"Thirty-eight seconds is all it took for Shawn to decide Connie's life was no longer worth living," she said. "We have nightmares of the horrific way Connie died. Our family will never be able to celebrate Thanksgiving again."
In addition to his 30-year prison sentence, Bowersock must pay $150,000 to Allison's heirs and complete a victim-offender dialogue with her family.