A 33-year-old woman was charged with negligent homicide and driving under the influence of alcohol early Sunday after the car she was driving veered off the Weymouth-Rhymer Highway and plowed into three pedestrians, killing two of them.
A third pedestrian was listed in critical condition, according to a police statement.
At about 5 a.m. Sunday, Karen J. Williams was traveling east on the highway and apparently lost control of her Honda Accord. The car left the road and careened onto the sidewalk, striking three young women who were walking or jogging west. The vehicle then hit a stop sign, spun around and smashed into a WAPA utility pole, coming to a stop.
Killed were 17-year-old Aliya Robles and 18-year-old Jolcia Wilson; police have not identified the 18-year-old woman who was critically injured.
Police said they detected a strong odor of alcohol on Williams and administered field sobriety and Breathalyzer tests. She was arrested at 6:30 a.m. Her bail was set at $10,000 and she was remanded to the custody of the Bureau of Corrections pending her advice of rights hearing.
All three victims were present or former students at Ivanna Eudora Kean High School.
Kean Principal Sharon McCollum visited the accident site Sunday afternoon, according to an Education Department statement. McCollum was arranging with the Department of Human Services to bring three counselors to Kean’s campus Monday to talk with students.
