A pregnant, heavily inebriated Michigan woman plowed into an extended family crossing the street on Saturday, injuring 13 and killing two before fleeing the scene, according to the Clinton County Sheriff’s Office.
Ashley Monroe, 35, pleaded not guilty to six counts of operating under the influence, two of operating while intoxicated causing death and one count of failing to stop at the scene of an accident causing death at her Monday arraignment, Fox 2 Detroit reported.
Prosecutors said she drove away from the scene of the crash just north of Lansing in Watership Township around 6:30 p.m. and was found with a mostly-empty bottle of Crown Royal and two bottles of antidepressants in her purse when deputies caught up to her three minutes later.
Her car had heavy front-end damage, assistant prosecutor Debra Martinez said, and blood and tissue belonging to her victims were knitted into the wreckage. When her blood was tested in custody, prosecutors said, her BAC was .183 – more than twice the legal limit of .08.
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Ashley Monroe of Perrinton, Michigan, 35. (Clinton County Sheriff’s Office)
Johnathan Esch, 30, and Daniel Harris, 42, died at the scene, according to local reports. The other 14 victims were rushed to a nearby hospital. They are “known to each other as family,” and range in age from 2 to 61, the department wrote in a Facebook post.
A 38-year-old woman remains in critical condition. The other victim’s injuries were not life-threatening, the agency wrote.
The Clinton County Sheriff’s Department responded to the scene of a mass casualty incident on May 18 around 6:30 p.m. (Clinton County Sheriff)
Seven victims in the crowd were under the age of 8, the Sheriff’s Office wrote in a press release.
Martinez argued for a $500,000 bond, saying that prosecutors believe “she is a serious risk to the public,” per the Monday hearing streamed by WLNS.
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Ronald Zawacki, Monroe’s attorney, said that his client lives with her fiancé and currently has four children, ages 13, 11, 7 and 1. He argued for a lower bond amount, noting that she was a lifelong Michigan resident who had worked at the Michigan Secretary of State’s office for about a year and a half and had no prior criminal record.
The department wrote that nearly half of the 16 victims were children under 8 years old and that two had perished in the accident. (Clinton County Sheriff’s Department)
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However, District Court Judge Michael Clarizio opted to double the recommended amount, giving Monroe a $1 million cash/surety bond, Fox 2 reported.
“What the court knows for sure is we have 2 individuals that died,” Clarizio said. “Two people have lost their lives prematurely. We’re not just talking about a victim, we’re talking about multiple victims.”
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Records show Monroe awaiting her probable cause hearing, scheduled for May 30, behind bars at Clinton County Jail.
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