MANOR, Texas (KXAN) — A man is accused of murder after a car crash that killed a woman early Wednesday morning on U.S. Highway 290 in Manor.

Candelario Flores (Austin Police Department Photo)

The Manor Police Department says Candelario Flores, 40, is alleged to have been driving while intoxicated at the time of the crash. State records show he has three previous DWI convictions.

MPD says Flores was speeding in a Ford F-350 when he hit the back of a whote sedan around 1:40 a.m., causing the death of Noemi Calderon. She was a passenger in the car, and the driver of that car was taken to the hospital and has since been released.

Calderon was pronounced dead at the scene.

Following the crash, MPD says Flores fled the scene on foot, but was apprehended shortly after.

The department is requesting a murder charge “due to causing the death of another person while committing a felony.”

Longtime District Court Judge Jon Wisser tells KXAN a murder charge following this kind of incident would be atypical. He said these cases are nearly always tried as Intoxicated Manslaughter and without intent, murder rarely holds up in court.

“I’d be very very surprised that the ultimate conviction is for murder,” Wisser told us.

According to court records, Flores was serving a five-year probation sentence because of his last DWI in 2017. He’s been arrested for DWI in 2013, 2014 and 2017 and has been convicted all three times.

Wisser, who has tried hundreds of DWI cases, says punishment for DWI offenses vary by county in Texas. For a third DWI arrest in Travis County, he says probation and mandatory treatment, not prison, is the standard punishment.

“I can assure you the judge who placed [Flores] on probation, which was no doubt recommended by the district attorney’s office, is very upset,” said Wisser.

Along with the murder charge, Flores faces an additional charge of evading with previous convictions, MPD says.

Travis County deputies closed traffic in both directions on U.S. 290 so crews could clear the crash, but the road reopened around 5 a.m.

Jail records indicate Flores is currently in Travis County Jail.