Parker County drug-dealing mother sentenced to 50 years in prison after drunk driving accident

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Hanna Springstead (Parker County Jail)

FORT WORTH, Texas – A Fort Worth woman will spend the next 50 years in prison after she was drunk and caused a rollover accident with her three young children in the car.

Parker County District Attorney Jeff Swain said 29-year-old Hanna Springstead pleaded guilty in July to driving under the influence with children as passengers. She also pleaded guilty to possession and trafficking of drugs.

According to police, Springstead was drunk and under the influence of methamphetamine and THC when her car overturned on Highway 119 in Azle in January 2023.

Police officers called to the scene found Springstead outside the car, but her three children had to be rescued.

“The three children were all in car seats, but none of the seats were secured to the car,” said Assistant District Attorney Mallory Vincent. “APD officers had to use a glass hammer to enter the car through the rear window and rescue the children. When one officer exited the vehicle, he had a package of fentanyl pills tangled on his gun. At least after the accident, these pills must have been where they would have been accessible to the three children, who ranged in age from 8 months to 5 years.”

Officers later found a half-empty bottle of Fireball whiskey and several containers filled with fentanyl pills, magic mushrooms and ecstasy in the car. They also found cash and a notebook with information about recent drug transactions.

“Based on our findings, it appeared that Ms. Springstead was a major drug dealer in the Azle area,” said Assistant District Attorney Ryan Whyte.

“This was a very serious offense involving a verified drug dealer and could have resulted in the deaths of three young children,” said District Attorney Swain. “Miraculously, no one was seriously injured in the accident. Judge Towson's sentence reflects the danger that this defendant's drunk driving and drug dealing poses to our community. This is especially true with fentanyl, which has caused so many fatal overdoses in our county in recent years.”

The judge sentenced Springstead to two 50-year prison terms for drug trafficking, ten years for fentanyl possession, ten years for driving under the influence of alcohol with children and two years for possession of other drugs.

These sentences will be served concurrently.

After 12.5 years she can be released on parole.