Tearful teen appears in court, suspected of driving drunk when her sister was killed
A 19-year-old woman made a tearful court appearance after being accused of killing her 22-year-old sister in a car wreck over the weekend.
“I’ve never lived here in the Tri-Cities,” Taytum Smiscon-Ohms of Yakima said in Benton County Superior Court on Monday. “I don’t even know what I’m doing here.”
She was allegedly driving drunk about 6 p.m. Sunday when she lost control of the car on Wilgus Road south of West Johnson Road, the Benton County Sheriff’s Office said in a release Monday.
Details about how the crash happened are still being investigated, Lt. Mike Clark told the Tri-City Herald.
Smiscon-Ohms’ sister, Nyrie, was thrown from the car as it flipped. She died at the scene, investigators said.
Taytum Smiscon-Ohms was taken to Kadlec Regional Medical Center in Richland for minor injuries.
Her blood was taken for testing to determine how intoxicated she was, said officials.
The teen is being held in lieu of $125,000 bail on suspicion of vehicular homicide and taking a motor vehicle without permission. If she is able to pay the bail, she will need to have an ignition interlock on any car she drives and must use a portable breathalyzer.
Investigators believe she stole the car from Yakima. Details about when the car was taken and who owned it were not immediately available.
The Benton County Sheriff’s Office is asking anyone with information about the crash to contact Detective Steve McDermott at 509-735-6555 ext. 7203 or steve.mcdermott@co.benton.wa.us or Deputy Mitch Kroner at 509-735-6555 ext 3123 or mitchel.kroner@co.benton.wa.us.
This story was originally published October 21, 2024 at 12:59 PM.