Saying you intended to hit someone with a motor vehicle is saying to intended to kill them, unless you're provably insane and don't understand that hitting someone is likely to kill.

Agreed, intent is hard to prove. That's why the law also says, "knowingly." He definitely knew he could kill someone by hitting them with his car.

The man had priors for reckless driving, according to the article. And a bunch of other things.

just to hit them and teach them to stay off the road

That right there is intent to commit "an act dangerous to human life" under the Texas murder statute quoted above.

So when I shot my ex in the spine, it wasn't murder. I was only trying to paralyze them.

That 'or knowingly' closes the door on that hinge.

ianal, but I don't think they could be charged with both murder and manslaughter. Wouldn't that violate double jeopardy? Otherwise there would be absurdities where people get charged with the whole spectrum of criminal intent just to see what sticks. (Which does totally happen anyway, when they can get away with it.)

Read the article, it has his excuse, which explains the manslaughter reason.

If there’s skid marks, he better get upgraded charges. He has a history of this shit too:

Those jail records also showed prior arrests for Medina on counts such as deadly conduct by discharging a firearm, assault causing bodily injury, and reckless driving. Dispositions for those cases were not immediately available.