Reggie Stephey Bio, Early Life, Accident, Jail, Release Date and Net Worth

One wrong decision can change your life. A decision made under the influence will not only affect your life, but it will also have the power to ruin other’s lives. A drunk driver named Reggie Stephey proved these examples right by ruining his and the other five lives. Reggie Stephey is an American citizen who became the talk of the world after his SUV crashed into the car of Jacqueline Saburido and killed two other passengers in the vehicle. 

Reggie Stephey As a High-School Football Player

Reggie Stephey was born in 1981 in the United States of America. Reggie Stephey was a student of Lake Travis High School. He played football on his high school football team. Moreover, he maintained good grades, and the people of his neighborhood were very fond of Reggie. However, on one unfortunate night, the then-18-year-old Reggie decided to drink and drive, leading him to a life behind bars for seven years.

Although even when he was in prison, he continued his education. He attended college while in jail and graduated with an Associate’s Degree. According to Reggie, even in prison, he associated with people who wanted to better themselves. He used his time in prison to better himself and used it productively.

 Accident

On September 19, 1999, Reggie Stephey decided to go to a friend’s house party after work. As it was getting late, he decided to leave the party to go to another party. Unfortunately, he was drunk beforehand. Despite being drunk, he decided to drive. The same night, Jacqueline Saburido was attending her friend’s birthday party. When a girl who lived near her dormitory offered her to give a lift, she decided to take it. The car had five passengers. Unfortunately, their vehicle got hit by Reggie Stephey’s SUV car that Jacqueline Saburido and her friends were traveling in.

The hit instantly killed the driver and one passenger. The other injured two passengers were rescued. However,  Saburido was the only one trapped inside the car when it caught fire. Jacqueline screamed for help as the fire was burning her. The paramedics could extinguish the fire; however, the fire ignited again. Jacqueline Saburido glowed for 45 seconds before the fire truck arrived. About 60% of her body was burnt. 

Because of her severe burns, the doctors had to amputate her finger. Slowly, her nose, ears, and lips started to fall. She lost all her hair, and the doctors had to sew her eyes to save them from drying. Moreover, Saburido underwent more than 120 face reconstructive surgeries. She also underwent a cornea transplant surgery to restore her vision of the left eye.

Let’s Talk About Jail and Released Date

In 1999, when the accident happened, Reggie Stephey was only 18 years of age. In June 2001, after Reggie Stephey turned 20, he was sentenced to jail for seven years. The jury found Stephey guilty on two counts of intoxication manslaughter and sentenced him to prison for seven years in 2001. The two people who died were Natalia Bennett and Laura Guerero. 

You Can Watch an Interview of Reggie Stephey Below:

Reggie Stephey served his sentence of seven years. He was released in June 2008. During his time in prison, Reggie took time to better himself. He often collaborated with Saburido on various anti-drinking and driving campaigns. Most importantly, Jacqueline had forgiven Reggie.

On April 21, 2019, Jacqueline Saburido died of cancer. Her body was taken back to her homeland Venezuela to be buried beside her mother. It was said to be Saburido’s last wish. She was 40 when she left the world.

How Rich is Reggie Stephey? His Net Worth?

According to Prison Policy, an inmate earns an average of  12-40 cents an hour from regular prison jobs. Likewise, if you work in any correction industry, the inmate can make about 40 cents-$1.15 an hour.

Moreover, Reggie Stephey graduated with an Associate’s Degree. After an Associate degree, you can get several jobs annually that pay you from $30,000 to $60,000.

However, Reggie chose to live his life away from the spotlight. He was not proud of the consequences caused by his actions. So, he has not mentioned his occupation or whereabouts.

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