A Hope woman was indicted this week on two counts of manslaughter stemming from a fatal head-on crash in Woolwich in January.
Danielle R. Ward, 34, was indicted by the Sagadahoc County grand jury on two counts of manslaughter, three counts of aggravated criminal operating under the influence, two counts of driving to endanger and two counts of endangering the welfare of a child.
She was arrested Wednesday and taken to the Knox County Jail in Rockland in lieu of $10,000 cash bail. If she fails to make bail, she will make an initial appearance via video conference on Friday afternoon.
The crash occurred Jan. 21 on Route 1 just north of the Taste of Maine Restaurant.
The crash claimed the lives of 70-year-old Robert S. Martin and his 76-year-old wife, Carolyn W. Martin, both of Woolwich. Robert Martin died at the scene and Carolyn Martin died en route to Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston via a LifeFlight helicopter.
Robert Martin was driving a 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe SUV south on Route 1 when the 2009 Chevrolet Tahoe driven by Ward and carrying six children as passengers veered into the oncoming lane, the Sagadahoc County Sheriff’s Office reported after the crash. The children ranged in ages from 5 to 12 years old, according to the police affidavit, which did not indicate Ward’s relation to the children.
Ward and the six children all were taken to Maine Medical Center in Portland. The 5-year-old suffered a broken back, an 11-year-old had internal bleeding, a 12-year-old complained of abdominal pain, a 10-year-old had head trauma, a 7-year-old had an abdominal injury, and a 9-year-old had a fractured knee, according to an affidavit filed in court by the sheriff’s office.
A deputy’s inspection of the scene of the crash found no tire marks from Ward’s vehicle before the crash. He could not determine if there were tire marks from Martin’s vehicle because fluids from the vehicles covered that section of the road.
A paramedic told police that Ward had mentioned to him that she may have hit black ice before the crash. There was no evidence of black ice in the area at the time of the crash and the temperature was about 40 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the affidavit. The crash occurred shortly after 6 p.m
The deputy interviewed the 12-year-old passenger in Ward’s vehicle on the day after the crash, and she said a video was playing in the DVD system in the vehicle.
The deputy also listed Ward’s driving record in the police affidavit, pointing out that she had 13 convictions and six crashes in the past 11 years. Those convictions included two for operating under the influence – in 2013 and 2008, according to the affidavit.
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