Dixie Chicks' Laura Lynch's Death Could Yield Criminal Charges

The truck driver involved in a fatal car crash that killed Laura Lynch — founding member and original lead singer of the Dixie Chicks — could face criminal charges for her death, according to a new report from TMZ.

Lynch died on Dec. 22 in a head-on collision on Route 62 near Cornudas, Texas, according to an obituary published in the New York Times. She was 65 years old at the time of her death.

Now, Texas Department of Public Safety PIO Sgt. Eliot Torres tells TMZ that the other driver involved in the accident is being investigated to determine whether drugs or alcohol were a factor in the wreck.

Police confirm that after the incident, the other driver had blood drawn for drug and alcohol testing; if the results turn up positive, investigators could seek criminal charges. The results of the blood test will be released once a judge signs off on the investigators' subpoena.

According to a separate story from TMZ, one eye-witness to the crash states that the other driver attempted to pass two cars on a two-lane highway, crossing into the other lane and striking Lynch's vehicle head-on. That driver sustained non-life-threatening injuries.

Even if the drug and alcohol testing comes back negative, the driver could potentially still be charged for reckless driving or making an unsafe lane change.

Lynch was a co-founding member of the Dixie Chicks (now known as the Chicks) in 1989, along with sisters Martie Maguire and Emily Strayer, plus Robin Lynne Macy. Lynch split lead vocal duties with Macy for the group's first two albums, 1990's Thank Heavens for Dale Evans and 1992's Little Ol' Cowgirl. Macy left the band in 1993 and Lynch was the sole lead vocalist on their next record, that year's Shouldn't a Told You That.

Lynch left the band shortly thereafter and was replaced by Natalie Maines, forming the Chicks' best-known lineup as a hit country trio and their current lineup to this day.

After Lynch's death, the Chicks shared a memory of an early performance on their social media, saying they were "shocked and saddened" by her death.

"Laura was a bright light ... her infectious energy and humor gave a spark to the early days of our band," the group went on to say. "Laura had a gift for design, a love of all things Texas and was instrumental in the early success of the band. Her undeniable talents helped propel us beyond busking on street corners to stages all across Texas and the mid-West."