A Michigan woman, who was both intoxicated and pregnant, drove her vehicle into a crowd of pedestrians, resulting in the injury of 16 individuals and the death of two, according to the Clinton County Sheriff’s Office. The woman, identified as 35-year-old Ashley Monroe, had a blood alcohol content level of 0.183, more than double the legal limit. Prosecutors also found a nearly empty bottle of Crown Royal and two bottles of antidepressants in her possession.
The incident occurred just before 6:30 p.m. on a Saturday on South Wacousta Road near Corrison Road in Watertown Township, approximately 15 miles northwest of Lansing. Monroe reportedly fled the scene after the collision, but was apprehended by Clinton County Sheriff’s deputies within three minutes. Her vehicle exhibited significant front-end damage, and investigators discovered hair, blood, and tissue from the victims on the car, according to assistant prosecutor Debra Martinez.
The two fatalities were identified as 30-year-old Johnathan Esch and 42-year-old Daniel Harris. The remaining 14 victims, whose ages range from 2 to 61, were transported to the hospital. Among them, a 38-year-old woman is in critical condition, while the others sustained non-life-threatening injuries, as per the deputies’ report.
Monroe faces multiple charges, including two counts each of operating while intoxicated and failure to stop at the scene of an accident resulting in death, six counts of operating while intoxicated causing serious injury, and one count of failure to stop at the scene of an accident leading to serious impairment or death. During Monroe’s arraignment, which was streamed by local CBS affiliate WLNS, Martinez requested a bond of $500,000, citing Monroe as a “serious risk to the public.”
Monroe’s defense attorney, Ronald Zawacki, highlighted that his client is a mother of four children, aged between 1 and 13, with another child on the way. He also mentioned that she has been employed at the Michigan Secretary of State’s office for approximately 18 months. Despite this, District Court Judge Michael Clarizio set Monroe’s bond at $1 million, emphasizing the gravity of the incident.
Monroe is currently held at the Clinton County Jail, with a probable cause hearing scheduled for May 30.