A Waco woman who admitted she should not have been driving because she is legally blind pleaded guilty Monday in the Dec. 12 traffic death of a motorcyclist who was on a charitable mission.

Trena Evette Mitchell, 39, pleaded guilty to a second-degree felony manslaughter charge in the death of Richard Craig Schroeder.

Prosecutor Hilary LaBorde recommended that Mitchell be placed on deferred probation in exchange for the guilty plea.

Trena Mitchell

Judge Ralph Strother of Waco’s 19th State District Court will sentence Mitchell July 19 after reviewing a pre-sentence report compiled by probation officers.

In deferred probation cases, there is no final judgment of guilt if the defendant completes probation.

“She feels terrible about the accident,” Mitchell’s attorney, Phil Martinez, said. “Unfortunately, there was a life lost. We have been discussing her options for several months now, and she just wanted to put it all behind her.”

Mitchell, who receives disability payments because of her poor eyesight, turned left onto Martin Luther King Boulevard from East Lake Shore Drive about 1 p.m. in a 2007 Honda Accord. She failed to yield the right of way to the 45-year-old Schroeder, according to police reports.

Police say Mitchell’s car smashed into Schroeder’s 1998 Harley-Davidson motorcycle at the intersection.

Schroeder, who was carrying toys to a holiday charity, was thrown from the bike. He was not wearing a helmet.

Mitchell had four children in the car with her, including her 2-month-old great-nephew, according to records filed in the case.

The boy, who was not restrained in an infant seat, was treated for injuries at Cook Children’s Medical Center in Forth Worth and released a week later.

As part of the plea agreement, prosecutors opted not to pursue a charge of injury to a child.

Martinez said Monday that he was unsure where Mitchell was going with the children. But he added that her husband works out of town and she felt compelled to drive the children in his absence.

Schroeder was taken to Hillcrest Baptist Medical Center after the wreck, where he was pronounced dead about an hour later.

Mitchell has been issued two previous citations for driving without a license, records state. She told police that she did not see the motorcycle coming toward her and did not see any other vehicles.

twitherspoon@wacotrib.com

757-5737

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