Jacob Hunter Manuel, 24, has been sentenced to 40 years in prison after pleading no contest to two counts of DUI manslaughter and one count of DUI with serious bodily injury. The charges stem from a fatal crash on May 10, 2022, in which Manuel’s reckless driving led to the deaths of Tallulah Montez Beaman Ellis and her daughter, Tammy R. Hughes, on John Pitts Road.
Manuel, driving his Dodge Charger at speeds of up to 130 mph, struck Ellis and Hughes’ vehicle from behind, causing it to crush. The crash also left Hughes’ 9-year-old daughter critically injured, though she later recovered. Manuel’s car spun off the road and caught fire; he was pulled to safety before it became fully engulfed.
“This case is a real tragedy,” said Chief Assistant State Attorney Mark Graham. “The Ellis and Hughes families lost a mother and daughter, leaving behind a legacy of grief. Meanwhile, the defendant, a young man with no prior criminal history, faces 40 years in prison for one bad decision.” Manuel could have been sentenced to life in prison had he been convicted on all original charges.
