A woman from Nevada has been charged with several crimes, including DUI and child neglect, after a crash that killed her two nieces and injured her sister. According to police reports, KaLeah Manning, 23, had been drinking with a friend before getting behind the wheel of a van and losing control, striking a palm tree in Las Vegas on December 11th. Her two nieces, ages 2 and 3, were in the car at the time and were not properly restrained in age-appropriate car seats as required by law.
One of the girls died instantly, while the other died later at a hospital. Manning and her sister, who was also in the car, were critically injured. Tests reportedly showed Manning’s blood alcohol level to be more than twice the legal limit. Manning is facing multiple charges, including three counts of DUI resulting in harm or death, and her sister is also charged with child neglect.
Manning’s sister, Raenysha Washington, 25, was also charged with two counts of child neglect/endangerment resulting in death for not properly restraining her children in the car. The toddlers’ father, Tavon Wilmer, remembered his daughters as “beautiful, smart girls” and said the crash was “something that should never have happened.”
Manning appeared in court on December 20th, and her sister remained hospitalized at the time. The pair’s lawyer, Dan Winder, said he would be asking for their release, noting that they do not have extensive criminal histories and are mourning the loss of the toddlers.
The North Las Vegas Police Department did not immediately respond to a request for more information, but according to FoxNews, Manning “smelled like alcohol and had slurred speech and bloodshot eyes,” police said, and a test of her blood alcohol level reportedly revealed it was more than twice the legal limit. It was not immediately clear if Washington had also been drinking at the time of the crash, or if she also underwent a BAC test.
The tragic incident serves as a reminder of the dangers of drunk driving and the importance of properly restraining children in car seats to keep them safe.