by | Published
BOERNE, Texas — A Bandera man has been sentenced to 18 years in prison after pleading guilty to three counts of manslaughter in a 2024 crash that killed a family of three, officials said.
60-year-old Carl Sidney Galm entered the plea on April 10, 2026, under an agreement supported by the victims’ surviving family members. In addition to the prison sentence, Galm was ordered to pay a $10,000 fine. Because the sentences must run concurrently under state law, the 18-year term represents a near-maximum penalty. Galm will be eligible for parole after serving at least nine years.
The charges stem from an October 29, 2024, head-on collision on State Highway 46 West. Investigators said a Flock camera captured Galm’s Ford F-250 traveling west from Boerne at 7:36 p.m., with the crash occurring approximately nine minutes later about 6.3 miles away.
According to the Texas Department of Public Safety Crash Reconstruction Team, Galm attempted to pass a line of slow-moving traffic behind an 18-wheeler on an uphill curve in a marked no-passing zone. Witnesses reported he passed at least five vehicles by crossing a double yellow line before colliding head-on with a Toyota Corolla.
Authorities said Galm was traveling 93 miles per hour just seconds before the crash. The Corolla was driven by Roger Louis Waid, who was traveling with his wife, Patricia Ann Waid, and their teenage daughter, Blake Lynn Waid. All three were pronounced dead at the scene.
First responders attempted to rescue the occupants from the vehicle, but the injuries were fatal. Galm sustained minor injuries and was transported to a hospital. Investigators said a blood test showed no drugs or alcohol in his system.
Officials said the plea agreement reflects the severity of the risks taken that night, which led to a fatal but preventable crash.
The investigation was led by the Texas Department of Public Safety with assistance from the Kendall County Sheriff’s Office, Boerne Fire Department, Pipe Creek Volunteer Fire Department, Kendall County EMS, and Bandera EMS. The case was prosecuted by Assistant Criminal District Attorneys Steven Belt and Derly Chapa, with support from Crime Analyst Investigator Kristal Reser and Victim Assistance Coordinator Liz Jimenez.
