Randall County jury sentences former WT student to prision in fatal wrong-way crash case

A Randall County jury has sentenced a 22-year-old former West Texas A&M University student to prison following a deadly wrong-way crash on Interstate 27 that killed two college students in 2022.

Rayna Elizabeth Smith was found guilty on two counts of intoxication manslaughter after jurors deliberated for nearly five hours before reaching their verdict. The case centered on a crash that occurred in October 2022 near the McCormick Road overpass in Randall County, where authorities say Smith was driving a 2018 Ford F-150 northbound in the southbound lanes of I-27 while heavily intoxicated.

According to evidence presented during the trial, Smith’s vehicle collided head-on with a 2022 Nissan Sentra carrying two women. The force of the impact was severe enough to spin both vehicles around, leaving them facing opposite directions from their original travel paths. The pickup truck caught fire following the collision. First responders were able to rescue Smith from the burning vehicle before it became fully engulfed, though investigators noted she was not wearing a seatbelt and exhibited signs of intoxication at the scene.

The occupants of the Nissan Sentra, Analuisa Mendoza and Alicia Bustos, were pronounced dead at the scene. Both victims were close friends and students at Eastern New Mexico University in Portales. They were traveling together to attend a concert featuring their favorite band at the time of the crash.

A Randall County grand jury formally indicted Smith on two counts of intoxication manslaughter in February 2023. The case then moved through multiple delays and continuances before the trial finally began on April 6 in the 251st District Court. After returning a guilty verdict, jurors proceeded to the punishment phase, hearing arguments from both the prosecution and the defense regarding sentencing.

Following an additional period of deliberation lasting about an hour, the jury returned its punishment decision. Smith was sentenced to five years in prison for each count, with the sentences ordered to be served consecutively, resulting in a total of ten years of imprisonment.

Court officials confirmed that Smith’s legal counsel intends to pursue an appeal of the conviction and sentencing. The case has drawn attention in the region due to the circumstances of the crash and the loss of two young students en route to a social event.