Jason Esque will serve 25 years in prison for his role in the accident that took the life of Donnie Coleman last March.
Esque, 39, was sentenced in Buena Vista Circuit Court Wednesday to 45 years in prison with 20 years suspended after being convicted of several charges earlier this year, including felony charges of involuntary manslaughter and felony homicide for the death of Coleman and a charge of driving under the influence resulting in serious injury for injuries sustained by Deborah Teague, who was in the car with Coleman. Esque was also convicted of one felony count of failing to stop at the scene of an accident that resulted in serious injury (hit and run), one felony count of unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, one misdemeanor count of driving with a suspended or revoked license and one misdemeanor count of driving under the influence.
On the night of March 10, 2025, Esque drove a car which had been rented from Enterprise by his fiancé through a residential neighborhood in Buena Vista at a high rate of speed, colliding with a vehicle driven by Coleman at the intersection of 22nd street and Maple Avenue. Esque struck the driver’s side of Coleman’s car and Coleman passed away in the hospital on March 14. Evidence presented at trial showed that Esque had methamphetamine and marijuana in his system when he was taken into custody after fleeing the scene of the accident.
Judge Christopher Russell sentenced Esque to the maximum sentence of 20 years for the involuntary manslaughter and to 30 years with 10 suspended for the felony homicide charge. Those sentences will be served concurrently, but consecutive to the sentences for the three other felonies and two misdemeanors Esque was convicted of.
For the felony charge of driving while intoxicated and causing serious injury, Esque was sentenced to five years with three suspended. For the felony charge of hit and run, he was sentenced to five years with four suspended. For the felony charge of unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, he was sentenced to four years with three suspended. For each of the misdemeanor charges, he was sentenced to six months in prison.
Several members of Coleman’s family testified during the sentencing hearing, as did Esque’s fiancé and some of his friends. A full report of the hearing will appear in the July 29 edition of The News-Gazette.
